Recovery
by NonaryNathan999
Summary: After rehabilitation, there is still recovery. The Phantom Thieves of Hearts may be finished at Shuujin Academy, but how did they get involed in the affairs of Kuoh Academy?
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.**

Akira Kurusu (3rd Yr, High)

Ryuji Sakamoto. (3rd Yr, High)

Ann Takamaki. (3rd Yr, High)

Yusuke Kitagawa. (3rd Yr, High)

Makoto Niijima. (1st Yr, College)

Futaba Sakura. (1st Yr, High)

Haru Okumura. (1st Yr, College)

Souna Shitori, or Sona Sitri, the Student Council President of Kuoh Academy read these names and kept her eyes firmly on the papers of their profiles.

Those students were definitely an odd bunch. Only coming in from past a couple months ago, some of them left their own impressions while others not so much. Yet still, the bunch of them were well-known in the school for their own unique styles and personalities. It was odd, considering that most of them came from Tokyo. Even more peculiar, all of them were friends. The two that attended the college section of the academy would also meet up with the high-schoolers many times. Sona managed to get their profiles thanks to connections she had in the higher education area.

Akira Kurusu was just… average. Appearance wise at least. His black hair was wavy and a pair of dark grey eyes complimented the color. The boy was pretty much seen always with his Kuoh uniform on neat and properly. There was also a pair of glasses on the male's face, although it was not needed for visual correction apparently due to health exams proving to do so when the boy managed to read every letter on the eye chart.

It was hard to pinpoint the boy's personality. But to her own opinion, Sona thought that the boy was quiet and well-mannered. Not only that, but his marks were high enough to make him be considered one of the smarter students of the academy. When she pulled him into her club room once to talk to him about his impressive grades, he simply replied that he studied hard. That was not the only issue though, as there were a few people commenting that they could hear the sounds of a cat coming from his bag. He would also never seem to stand-out too much, always preferring to not mingle in the crowds but make sure that he looked like he was a part of it at the same time to not make him seem strange.

There was also another reason why she had to pull him in for some talks.

Ryuji Sakamoto was one of the strangest boys Sona would ever lay eyes on at Kuoh Academy. Well, that's not a whole lot considering how not many of the students were male to begin with. The male who was currently on her mind had short spiky blonde hair and brown eyes. Despite wearing the school uniform, Ryuji would seemed to wear some sort of glaring yellow t-shirt underneath the open blazer. Such a bright piece of clothing even had the nerve to sport a comic style star symbol with the word (or letters to her belief since the following was something she refused to believe to be in a dictionary) ZOMG. Not only that, but the pants the boy decided to use with the uniform used suspenders. The blonde didn't even bother hooking them over his shoulder though, allowing the bands to just hang from his hips.

From the start, Sona thought that Ryuji was going to be a problem student. As time progressed, she was correct. But her guess was only partially right. Being called in for doing a poor job in his physical education classes, the blonde actually revealed that he suffered a crippling injury from his previous school that was almost never allowing him to play any sort of sports again. Sona immediately took note of the limping thanks to that fact as Ryuji was excused back to his classes. The blonde still proved to be a bit of trouble to the other teachers. It was odd though that Ryuji would admit that it would be his fault most of the time and try to work harder.

Despite having to scold the boy for his misbehavior, another female would already beat Sona to the punch.

Ann Takamaki was her name. The girl had bright blue eyes and ash blonde wavy hair styled in bush pigtails, with parted side bangs on the right side of her face. She mainly wore a white varsity-like hoodie that was large enough to cover the school's skirt, which that small article of clothing was the only thing Kuoh Academy related that she wore. To cover the bottom though, she had red tights and brown boots with yellow laces.

The girl was almost as bad as Ryuji, but luckily she kept herself in check all the time. Her studies were fairly good, always asking questions just in case that she didn't know anything. While lively and energetic though, she comes to some cases to spout profanity. One of the most memorable examples being her catching the Perverted Trio peeping while Ryuji pointed this out to her. Angry words that included piece of shit, bullshit, hell, and son of a bitch were only examples that echoed through the school property as a massive chase began with the angry girl chasing down the peeping toms.

Yusuke Kitagawa was the next one. The boy's appearance was rather plain like Akira's, but was much more dignified somehow. His hair was dark blue with parted bangs slightly covering his left eye. He wore the school uniform, but the blazer was nowhere to be seen, meaning that the long white sleeved shirt was all he wore to cover up the upper-half of his body. Interesting enough, he would always be seen carrying several silver keys that hung along his belt.

As a cool, calm, and collected being, Yusuke proved to be extremely elegant to the point that many of the girls dubbed him the 'Great Painter of Kuoh Academy'. As ridiculous as the long name was (although there was already the Prince of Kuoh Academy), Yusuke certainly lived up to his nickname. Being elegant with his work when it came down to painting or drawing, which was the boy's passion, he saw an attractiveness, beauty and aesthetic in mostly everything. When such a statement was made, many of the girls swooned over his words, such sentences even providing motivation for the students to work harder. Interestingly enough, the boy took up kendo where he proved to be well-trained with a sword.

Turning her head, Sona took a small break from looking over the students and recollecting her memories of the reputations that each of them held. So far, those were all the second-years that she had dealt with. But when she looked out the window, she saw the Kendo club chasing the Perverted Trio once more. But there was one other person that seemed to be more bloodthirsty than the rest despite the rather opposite looks. She must have had a meeting with someone on the list before witnessing the chasing.

Makoto Niijima certainly had a strong personality with a look that did not match it almost. Makoto had brown hair in a bob cut with blunts bangs and a braided headband. Her eye color was a surprising red, although others claim it to be a reddish-brown. She wore the school uniform without the standard shirt, vest, and cape. Instead, she wore a black halter vest over a long sleeve white shirt with a turtleneck. Covering her legs were black tights while she wore brown ankle boots underneath.

The girl held a strong sense of responsibility, a good strength when beginning a first-year of college to Sona's opinion, seeming to be like a perfectionist. Sona was almost tempted to invite the girl into her peerage. But it was nearly full and she wanted to use the rest of her pieces wisely. Nevertheless, Sona was tempted. The girl was like an older-sister to almost all students that were younger than her, almost becoming an official Great Lady of Kuoh Academy herself. Makoto was a very compassionate and understanding young lady. Yet… she was extremely brutal as she would hunt down the Perverted Trio every time their misdeeds would be brought up to her ears.

Despite such a violent element, there was one person who seemed to tease her a lot.

Futaba Sakura was an odd case. The girl was a bespectacled female with long bright orange hair. She wore large black circular glasses, and she always was seen wearing a pair of big headphones. She was rather short compared to most girls, only being 5-6 inches taller than the dubbed school mascot. Futaba was troublesome though by a bit, seeming to refuse to wear any of the uniform. After about a week of arguing (and saying that she would be kicked out of school if she did not wear even a piece of it) the orange-haired girl finally settled for wearing the cape… and that was about it. For the rest of her clothing, it consisted of multiple layers; she wore an off-shoulder white top with a red blood-like pattern on her chest with five white asterisks, a black tank-top underneath, a dark green jacket with a faux fur trimmed hood, black short shorts, black thigh highs and black knee-high boots. She even wore a giant green jacket with the abbreviation A.F.K on the back.

The girl seemed to be a bit shy, preferring not to really be seen in public by hiding behind her friends. Without them around, Futaba sometimes even resorted to wearing masks. Thankfully, in due time, she slowly began to reveal her face into the open gradually. That led to a slight problem though as it simply led people to flock all over her due to her just being 'adorable'. However, Futaba would always find a way to slip past the group surrounding her somehow and be able to get back together with her friends that were the previous members that Sona was going over.

Speaking of friends…

Haru Okumura… Where did Sona hear that name before? Ah, right, Okumura Foods Incorporated. It was interesting, the girl didn't look or act like a rich person at all. The girl had chin-length curly light auburn hair and brown eyes. She wore Kuoh Academy's school uniform with heavy modifications; a pink turtlenecked cardigan with short puffed sleeves with a long-sleeved white shirt underneath. The cardigan was zipped open up to her navel, and had two big pockets on the front. With the academy's skirt on, she finished up with white tights with black flower patterns and black mary janes.

A daughter of a rich company. The girl didn't act spoiled. Haru never acted spoiled at all. In fact, she almost like a big sister as well, more of an emotional type. If Makoto was all about the physical aid, Haru was all about psychology. Many times the students were troubled when it came down to different issues. Somehow, Haru would always be the one that everyone would talk to rather than the school counselor. That fact was mentioned many times. Sona herself pointed this out when she ran into the girl in the halls when the opportunity would rise. Haru simply said that it is much more comfortable to talk to someone near your age than far.

Finished with her reviewing, Sona placed the profile pictures down and rubbed her eyes after taking her glasses off. There was a feeling that she had about them and it slightly irked her that she couldn't get rid of it. She had pulled out their files in hope of maybe being able to make out or find a detail or more that could explain why she had a bit of a suspicion towards those students.

Just what made her think that there was more to those seven than meets the eye?

 **TakeABreak**

"Ann, please let me look over your notes!"

"Did you forget to write them down again?! No way! You reap what you sow!"

"I did write them down!"

"Really?"

"Well… not very good notes…"

Ryuji and Ann continued having their conversation, or bickering, while Akira and Yusuke were waiting for the others. The blue-haired boy looked up to the sky, appreciating the scenery that was above their heads. The clouds were so free, just like how some hearts should be. Raising his hands, he raised his fingers and thumbs to make it seem like he was looking at a frame. The limbs were still, as if Yusuke were doing his best to memorize the picture he was forming for later.

Akira was texting on the other hand. Having a small conversation with Futaba, Makoto, and Haru, he managed to get everyone's attention. "The others said that they are going to be late. Futaba's going to some sort of sweet shop with someone named Koneko. Makoto and Haru are both staying behind to work on homework in the school library."

"Aww man, really?" Ryuji sighed, bending his back and neck. "We were all going to go out to that Italian place near our apartment as well."

"I do believe that we can still go out to eat however." Yusuke commented, craning his head back down to join in the conversation.

"True." Ann nodded in agreement, taking note of Yusuke's words. "We're just going to have to arrive there later than usual."

"Yeah, it's true." A voice suddenly came from Akira's bag. Looking down, the boy reached over to the zipper of his man purse and opened it up. The head of a cat suddenly popped out as the entire body of the pet soon followed. Its black coat covered the body while it had a white muzzle as well as paws with a yellow collar. "But you've got to remember that we made reservations."

"Oh damn it, that's right!" Ann suddenly remembered, eyes widening with realization. "There was the 5 o'clock booking that we all made!" She looked at everyone. "What should we do? Ryuji? Kitagawa-kun? Kurusu-kun? Morgana-chan?"

All of them thought about it for a few minutes. After a small while, Akira raised his hand to suggest what he had on his mind. "We could always try to see if we can change the times of our reservations. If we are unable to do that, what sort of other places are there to eat that we all may agree on?"

"There's a ramen place close by!" Ryuji raised his own hand enthusiastically. "The noodles are similar to having Italian so it could work out!"

"But what about the factor of the broth? Plus, I do not think such pasta is supposed to be salty." Yusuke pointed out, earning an agreement from a deflated blonde.

"Come on, guys, there has to be another way…" Morgana paced around the pavement as everyone was deep in thought of what to do.

All except Ann though. The female was just watching all of the males doing their best to come up with a best case scenario. "You know, you guys are taking this way too seriously." She deadpanned as the boys were still thinking.

"…" All of the guys were too busy in their moment to even realize that Ann had just talked to them.

"…How about this?" Akira started off. "We'll make dinner. Pasta is going to be the main course, but how are we going to season it? I say with curry."

"You just want to put your cooking skills that you learned from Sojiro-san to the test again." Morgana sighed, shaking his head. "But still, that's not a bad idea. There aren't any other places that could be worth seeing due to them being too far."

"Hmm… pasta and curry… that doesn't seem to be a bad combination at all!" Ryuji nodded his head, already thinking about the food and how it would taste.

"It should provide something to be very amusing." Yusuke commented.

"I can't believe you guys are still acting like this." Ann sighed.

 **TakeABreak**

"Of course the only thing we didn't have was coconut cream."

Akira said this to himself as he was practically running back to the apartment where all of them lived. Of course, the boys lived separately from the girls so that no incidents would happen. It was a rather nice place to live as well. Luckily, there was tons of money they had made from raiding the Palace's they would invade in order to change their target's heart. So they could afford everything for the moment. Haru offered to use some of her own savings to be able to help them survive, but everyone downright refused and said that they would get their own part-time jobs to be able to support one another.

But getting back to running back, Akira had the groceries in a shopping bag that Morgana was riding in at the same time. "Man, it's been a long time since you've actually done any cooking of your own." The cat commented as the two of them continued down the road.

The black-haired boy only nodded in response as he continued dashing through the city. He wanted to save his breath for running all the way back home. The curry was almost ready, as the coconut cream was the last ingredient they needed before they could mix everything together. Not only that, dinner time was ticking closer.

Running past a park, Morgana suddenly whipped his head around with shock. "Wait, back up a bit!" The cat exclaimed. Akira stopped running, turning his head towards the cat with a look that wanted to know what was up. "Just back up already!" Doing as he was told, the human took a few steps back for the cat. Sniffing deeply, Morgana's body tensed. "What the- that's blood I smell!"

Surprised at the sudden yelling, Akira immediately began running into the park without a bit of hesitation. Most people would cautiously approach or even call the police. But this boy was more of an adventurous spirit.

As they progressed through, the two of them began to notice a few things. First of all, no one was in this park. Not a single person which was pretty ominous since there would always be someone around despite the current time of day. Second, something felt out of place. They couldn't place their finger (or paw) on it.

Seeing something out of the corner of his eye, Akira was thankful for his experience in the Palaces against shadows as he managed to react quick enough and dodge some sort of glowing red spear that was going right towards him. Rolling out of the way, he looked to where the projectile came from.

Eyeing the fountain, which was in the middle of the park, Akira leaned back with a perplexed look at what he saw. Standing on the top level of the fountain was a woman. The woman was… beautiful? No, seductive was more fitting. She had hip length black hair, sharp violet eyes that fixed her look into an almost perpetual glare, a fair complexion, and a very large bust. Although, the feature that commanded the most attention were the two black wings sprouting out of her back.

"Oi!" Morgana leapt out of the grocery bag and onto the ground. He knew that this girl wasn't human, so there was no point in hiding from them due to them most likely being from the supernatural world. "Who are you and why did you just throw that thing at us?!" He hissed.

"A talking cat?" The lady shook her head to get rid of the raised eyebrow on her face. "It doesn't matter, does it?" She smirked. "You'll be dead anyways." After a cruel statement, she seemed to create another spear out of thin air. "However, I'll tell you both as a final wish." She continued. "My name is Raynare. Remember it well, as it will be the last name you'll ever know."

"Well that's a strange name." Akira commented. Immediately, he rolled to the side again to avoid an incoming spear. He frowned to himself. He was ill equipped for a situation like this at the moment. At least whenever he entered a Palace, he and his team would have a firearm of sorts with a weapon of choice.

But the odds were not in his favor at the moment as he was nothing but a normal human at the moment. But still, he managed to avoid each and every spear thrown at him like a professional. Looking over to Morgana, his eyes gestured over towards the woman who was relaxing and taking pleasure in attacking him.

The cat nodded its head, understanding what his leader mean. Running around out of Raynare's vision as Akira continued to distract the female, the feline immediately charged the woman. With a powerful leap, the cat bit down on the lady's arm and refused to let go.

"Ow!" Raynare exclaimed in pain, losing her balance and falling into the water of the fountain while having her head slam on the rim at the same time. "Get off me, you stupid cat!" Ripping Morgana off of her by grabbing his neck, she threw him across the pavement and into the bushes.

Akira immediately ran past Raynare as the female aimed a spear for the cat. Scooping up Morgana, Akira managed to take cover behind a tree that was along the bushes. Panting a bit due to so much running around, his attention was grabbed again when he heard Morgana's voice.

"…No... way…"

Looking at the feline, the male looked down to where the cat was staring.

The body was male, looked to be about average height, possessed brown hair and brown eyes that were frozen in a death stare. The boy was leaning against a tree, seeming to have his gaze fixed on who or what had killed him. The two of them knew this boy though as the brunette sat next to him in class. His name was Issei Hyoudou, the resident pervert.

Akira and Issei didn't really know each other that well but that didn't mean Akira wanted him to die. Especially like this. The boy in front of him didn't seem to stand a chance.

"…Did she really do this?" Morgana growled, baring his sharp teeth.

"That's correct."

Being kicked from behind, the two were knocked down and skidded right next to the corpse of Issei. "And you know what? You two will be next. Go ahead, beg for your survival. It's always amusing hearing you humans plead for your lives."

Akira clenched his fist. He knew that running head on would be suicide. No matter though, that woman had to be stopped. So nonchalant about killing him. He faced many, but none were killers like this lady. She performed such acts as if she enjoyed it. He ddin't show or say it, but it disgusted him. He wanted to take her down. But Raynare proved to be far more stronger than he was alone. If he had a weapon, a gun, something to help him.

" _ **What Are You Going to Do? Just Sit and Wait?"**_

Akira gasped when he heard a voice. Morgana and Raynare both looked at him. "What's wrong? Scared?" The woman taunted.

" _ **Are You Going to Let You and Your Friend Die?"**_

" _ **You Have Faced Threats Even Greater. Or… Am I Making a Mistake?"**_

Akira gritted his teeth, glaring at Raynare who approached him slowly. Sweat began to pour down his brow. It was not from fear though. Morgana didn't know what was going on, but he knew that he had to at least buy the boy some time to come up with something.

 _ **"Let Our Contract Be Brought up Once More."**_

He began to scream out in pain. His body entered violent spasms. Collapsing to the ground, his arms and legs shook as if he were a rag doll. As Morgana continued to try to distract Raynare, the cat look around to see Akira cluthing his head in agony.

Raynare stomped on Morgana, causing the cat to be stunned after a blow like that. The woman then decided to kick the feline right next to Akira. Looking up towards the boy, she frowned. "What is wrong with you?" She asked.

" _ **I Am Thou, Thou Art I…"**_

" _ **For the Justice You Believe, Let Blasphemy Fall upon Those Who Don't."**_

Akira began to clutch his head in agony, constantly banging his skull against the pavement. With every impact, he began to create a bigger hole with every hit. Before bringing the head back down, he would look up to the sky as if it were some sort of ritual. But no blood spurted out.

 _" **Call upon My Name, and Release Thy Rage!** **"**_

He then paused. Raynare created another spear just in case. Slowly getting up, Akira stared right at her. A white bird-shaped mask with a black design around the eyes covering the top half of his face. He reached up and felt it and a surprised look was worn on his face.

"A Sacred Gear user?!" Raynare snarled, already having her hands to throw the weapon. But then she stopped when Akira began to pull the mask off.

" _ **Even If You Are Dragged into Hell, Call upon My Name and Release Thy Rage!"**_

"No way…" Morgana breathed, slowly getting back up.

Pulling on the accessory, it felt like it was glued onto his face. Desperately, he attempted to pry the accessory off. Painfully, he felt like his was ripping his own skin apart. Struggling in pain, he lost his grip for a split second but regained it back. Blood began to pour out of the mask. But it was really his skin behind the accessory as he finally managed to tear it off to reveal his bloody upper-face. Letting out a final cry, he went silent.

Breathing heavily, Akira looked up to show that he was no longer wearing his glasses. Not only that, but he had yellow eyes with a cocky smirk soon turning into a massive grin as the blood on his face burst into blue flames. Slowly, the blood began to evaporate off his face and the flame cover his entire body.

Morgana and Raynare were shocked to see this outcome. But Morgana was the first to recover. "Ohohohohohohohoho, you're really screwed now." The cat commented, grinning like a madman if he could.

After the human was covered with the blue fire, red flames that formed a face then appeared along the blue body. Floating upwards, it held the same manic look as Akira did. The clothing the boy now had was what he usually wore when he was a Phantom Thief; a black trench coat with a grey collared shirt, black trousers, brown Cuban heeled boots and a pair of red gloves.

But that's not what stole the scene. What took it were the blue flames. Chains were connected to the floating entity as it continued to have its maddening grin. Slowly, the blue flames dispersed to reveal something… large.

It was twice the size of Akira. Wearing a red coat, the length of the clothing only made it up to the mid-back of the thing. A black mask with red designs made it seem like it had horns. Two gigantic black wings spread themselves out in a flourish and showy motion. Massive red boots with bladed heels were worn at the bottom to create a rather dignified yet dangerous look. Then, there was a white scarf and a tall top hat as two articles of clothing a gentleman would wear along with a massive vest with red strings. Black-clawed fingers sprouted out from red fingerless gloves, ready to slice all those that stood in its path. Chains rattled and surrounded its body, as if the metal links were being bent to the will of the massive entity.

It made her back away. It made her feel scared. It shocked her. "Wh-…" Raynare breathed, doing her best to stay brave but was clearly putting in all the effort to not cower and stand still in awe. "What is that?!"

Akira and Morgana only grinned.

"Arsene!"

 **That's the beginning of something I guess. So… a new crossover… And I have another one in mind for Persona/RWBY… I am just getting swamped in my own work. Now, I know that it's the initial Persona,,, but there will be an explanation to why later. Not really the best, but it's an explanation.**

 **No flames please.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.**

Akira didn't think he would have ended up using his Persona in such a method, let alone using Arsene in reality. Everything he would have whenever entering the Metaverse was on his person. From his clothing to weapons, every bullet, firearm, and knife was equipped for combat. Honestly, it was a bit of a shocking moment. But he was Akira Kurusu, he could recover fast from many things.

With Arsene grabbing his body from the armpits, the Persona was helping Akira fly through the air as he and Raynare took their fight to the skies. Maneuvering around one another, they would always end up below or on top one another flight-wise. Akira eventually managed to get more speed as he got more distance away from the black-haired female. As soon as Arsene turned around, Akira pointed his handgun at her and took a shot towards her body.

Raynare easily used one of her light spears at hand though to deflect the bullet. Creating another weapon of light in her other hand, she struck the two spears together as if she were lighting a match and caused a bright flash. Slightly panicking at his sudden moment of temporary blindness, Akira began to command Arsene to try to fly towards safety. But just as the Persona moved, a pair of hands gently caressed his cheek before cupping it.

With his sight eventually coming back after a couple of seconds, he began to make out Raynare was the one grabbing his face tenderly. Akira didn't want to admit it, but he was stunned as her face was so close and her chest pressed against his neck. He nearly missed the sudden glint in the girl's eye as she suddenly ripped him from Arsene's grip due to Akira not being able to command Arsene to hold on tightly. Flying straight to the ground, Raynare quickly controlled her body to fly upwards. But during that small time to straighten herself, she released her grip on Akira when her chest was horizontal with the ground.

As the boy skidded along the ground, he eventually stopped when he ended up along an area that was filled with bushes and trees. With his body slamming against a trunk, he quickly got back up to his feet. Rubbing his back, he was partially relieved that it was loosened up as it was feeling tense before. With knife and pistol drawn, Akira looked up and saw that the trees were blocking his line of sight. Keeping an eye out for Raynare, he slowly made his way out of the greenery area to be able to get a better view of what was to come. While walking, he attempted to reload his gun but something made him stop.

Noticing a shadow suddenly grow over him, he turned and ducked under a slashing light spear. Leaping away from a thrust, Akira saw Raynare's fury come after him. Managing to use his knife to block and redirect each strike, he managed to create openings that got him to land one shot after another a few times. They eventually managed to make their way back to the concrete parts of the park.

Raynare hissed with annoyance as the bullets penetrated her skin. Lifting her spear, she tried to stab Akira but only managed to embed the end into the ground. However, with force, she flicked the weapon straight out of the rock and caused a shower of debris to rain onto Akira. Turing around, the boy ran a couple steps back before rolling on the ground. With his momentum though, he managed to turn around and get back up to his feet with his knife and gun ready once more.

It was a good thing too as he blocked a vertical thrust from Raynare's light spear with his knife. As the female gritted her teeth to try and win the locked positioning they were in, Akira simply brought his gun up and pointed it at the weapon. With a pull of the trigger, a bullet flew out and destroyed the spear and caused Raynare to stumble forward. She quickly recovered however by raising her leg and placed her foot on the flat part of Akira's knife. As the two of them pushed off each other, Raynare kept hovering in the air while throwing spears madly while Akira was defending himself and trying to shoot the girl.

Walking backwards while doing so, Akira eventually found cover behind a tree. Unloading the magazine, he patted himself down and found an extra clip on his person. Reloading the weapon, he paused for a second and looked down and saw that there were several clips all waiting to be used. Even the spot where he had taken the magazine had been replenished.

With that in mind, Akira immediately burst out of his hiding place and began to run along a path while shooting Raynare as she continued to simply deflect each bullet while standing in place. Leaping into the air, the boy found footing on a tree and kicked off the wood. Soaring through the air, he got close to Raynare with impressive speed and swung his knife. But Raynare blocked the weapon and the two of them pushed off each other once more for distance. As Akira landed on the ground, the two fighter rushed forward while swinging (and shooting in the male's case) this weapons over and over again before meeting in another deadlock for another moment.

Separating once more, Akira sent out Arsene to try attack Raynare. Not expecting the Persona to go right towards her, she was ducking and weaving around the deadly swiped it made with clawed hands. Trying an axe-kick, her attack was blocked as the Persona pushed upwards and caused her to fall back. As Arsene disappeared, Akira followed up immediately with a thrust of his knife. Grabbing his arm as the boy made a stabbing motion, Raynare gritted her teeth to prevent herself from grunting in pain from the male's knife managed to land a large cut along the side of her stomach.

Thinking that she had him immobilized, she then remembered the gun hand as she ducked while keeping her grip to avoid the handle that was going to smash her temple. Looking up, her face then came into contact with Akira's forehead which caused her to release an angry yell as she stumbled back. Akira immediately began running forward and tried to slash her. But Raynare raised her arm and stopped the incoming hand.

Akira suddenly lost strength in one leg as he fell onto one of his knees.

"Gah!" Akira exclaimed, distracted by the sudden jolt of pain that ran through his leg. With his loss of balance, it was the perfect opportunity for Raynare to stab the other one. Rather than killing him immediately, she wanted to have a bit of fun. Kicking the boy square in the stomach, she watched him slide on the ground while attempting to stand back up.

"Joker!" Morgana shouted out of reaction due to seeing Akira in his Phantom Thief clothing. Seeing Raynare aiming to take another shot, the cat rushed up towards the girl. With a strong leap, Morgana began to claw at the black-haired female's scalp.

"Ow! Don't get in my way!" Raynare grabbed the cat and tossed it up into the air. Spinning her spear around, se used the weapon like a baseball bat. With the sharpened end of her spear, she slammed it right against Morgana's cat body and sent him soaring towards the bushes. "Now..." She look at Akira who was on his feet and taking deep breaths. "I'm going to enjoy this even more than before..."

 **TakeABreak**

Morgana shook his head as he slowly began to get up onto his two legs. "Owww… that girl hits hard." He groaned, using his hands to lean against a tree for support. "Damn it! I can't do anything that proper in my cat form… If only I could…" He then looked down at himself while realizing something. "What the-?!"

Patting himself all over the place, he realized that his head was larger than before and rounder. The collar that he wore before was now replaced with a yellow bandana that was wrapped around his neck. With himself standing upright, he could see that he was also wearing his usual utility belt.

"How did…" Morgana trailed off, not sure how to react to this sudden transformation. He was supposed to have lost this form. Even his scimitar and slingshot were sitting right next to him. Back when the Phantom Thieves…

Wait, that's right, Akira/Joker!

 **TakeABreak**

"Gah! Stop wasting my time and die already!"

Rayare shouted this with poison in her words as Akira was still fighting. Despite the result of blood loss, Akira still stood up and remained strong. With powerful swings, despite the holes in his legs, he was surprisingly agile to defend himself. Akira made sure to keep his balance while slowly drawing himself down into a fighting position that was comfortable fo him. It was shaky though due to blood loss and the open hole in his leg. He knew that Raynare noticed this and would easily go for him.

The female did so as well. But then a rock pelted her right in the wing and caused her to fly off to the side for recovery.

Turning his head, Akira leaned back with surprise at who had just helped him out. "Morgana?" He asked, stumped at the cat's appearance as it was the same when he first met the feline. The boy didn't show it, but he was surprised that the fellow thief was in his humanoid form.

"Yup, I'm back and ready for action!" Morgana grinned, jumping into the air and making a victory pose with his slingshot still in his hands. "If you can summon your Persona… Hold on, I'll get you healed up in a jiffy!" Raising his paw, Morgana grinned at the fact that it was good to be back fighting. "Zorro!"

A pillar of blue light engulfed the cat at Morgana stood in preparation. Slowly emerging from the brightness was a humanoid figure as well. But this one was much more larger than Arsene muscle-wise. The upper half of its was huge and ripped. The head was normal sized though, fitting snugly between the large, black collar of the massive leather jacket with silver designs it wore. A massive cowboy hat was crammed onto the skull, having eyes right at the front of the accessory as vision or show. A black cape fluttered with its showy appearance. Despite the beefy build, its skinny legs complimented the rest of the body perfectly by fitting leather pants with black pointed boots. To hold up the pants, a large red and silver belt was worn with a massive Z buckle. A sheath was fitted into the belt while the rapier it belonged to looked like a mere stick in the persona's massive hands.

"Here it comes!" Morgana exclaimed as Zorro pointed at Akira with presentable pose. A green light began swirling around the boy as even sparkles could be seen. Looking down, everyone present could see flesh growing unnaturally around the wound that belonged to the human. Soon enough, the holes were gone and it was as if he never had them to begin with.

There was still the problem though. There was the account of blood loss that Akira experienced. However, it was still extremely good that Morgana was able to use his own Persona. Although, it was odd how the cat changed back to his human form when it was exclusive to the Metaverse. But that could be solved for another time.

"It seems that you have gotten a lot bolder as of late. I suggest correcting that quickly." A new voice suddenly declared.

Everyone looked over and were all surprised to see another person from Kuoh. Not only that, but they were approaching the situation as if they were simply walking through a grocery store.

"Gremory-san?"

All of them saw a buxom woman who appeared to be in her late teens. She was extremely beautiful, well deserving of her title as one of Kuoh's great ladies. Her face was definitely not something that would be easily forgotten. She had fair skin, silky crimson hair that went down to her thighs, and blue eyes that held a very commanding light as of this moment. She was still wearing her school uniform as if she had just left the academy.

Rias glanced at Akira first, looking up and down along the boy's body. Her attention then looked at Morgana, blinking with a hint of surprise. Her gaze then looked over to Raynare. "Leave now, or perish." She addressed the woman.

"Tch." Raynare clicked her tongue with a roll of her eyes. "I did what I came here to do anyways." She sneered before looking over at Akira and Morgana. "This isn't over, you two! I won't forget this moment!" With that said, she flew away to leave the three of them alone.

"What was that?!" Morgana shouted back, running to the place Raynare last stood while jumping up and down. "Say that again, I dare you!" He shook his tiny paw for emphasis that he meant business.

Akira meanwhile sighed as Arsene disappeared. As that happened, so did his clothing when he was a Phantom Thief. Back in his uniform, he looked all over himself.

"Would you care to explain just what you were doing here?"

Akira blinked. Turning over, he had to confirm that it was Rias that said those words. "Huh?" He asked.

Rias crossed her arms and developed a look that practically screamed that she was going to scold him. Akira simply stared and developed the usual straight look he always wore on his face. Honestly, he just wanted to get back to his apartment and get the curry ready for everyone. "I asked you would you care to explain what you were doing here?" Rias repeated herself.

"That should be my question." Akira stated.

Rias and the boy both stared at each other, the former used a glare while the latter was blank. Right at the bottom of their vision though was something that caught their attention. Looking down, the red-head and black-haired student both saw Morgana still in his humanoid form. "We were attacked by that girl in the middle of shopping after she was done killing another guy over there."

Morgana gestured to where Issei's corpse sat despite it being hidden along the bushes. Rias only turned over to where the body sat and walked over. Rather than recoiling back with surprise, she only stood in place with her face being unreadable. "…You know she killed him." Akira concluded due to her reaction not being one of shock in the slightest. "But the only way you could possibly know is if you watched her do it… or were here completely by accident."

This caused a look of shock to flash across the red-head's face. She opened her mouth to try and say something but the cat beat her to the punch. "You're right!" Morgana exclaimed. Drawing his slingshot from somewhere, he aimed a rock right towards Rias in a threatening manner. "Does that mean-"?!

"Wait, I can explain everything, but only if you give me a chance!" Rias quickly said, offering such with arms held out in a peaceful gesture. "I prefer not to do anything violent since we only need to talk!"

Akira was already behind Morgana as Rias was talking. Picking up the cat by the scruff of his neck, Akira carried the feline over towards the bag that he had dropped on the ground. Placing Morgana into the space, he lifted up the bag and looked over towards Rias. "I have questions." He simply stated. "Why did you let Hyoudou-san die?"

Rias frowned and folded her arms, causing her bountiful bosom to bounce. "Fine, but don't be surprised it you don't believe me…" She took a deep breath, preparing for the boy to freak out or even protest. "I'm a Devil."

"…What?" Akira asked.

Rias sighed while shaking her head. At least he wasn't being loud about it. "I knew you wouldn't believe me so maybe I should show you." A pair of black bat-wings suddenly sprouted from her back. "Now do you believe me?"

Akira blinked and nodded. People may have thought that he was too quick to just accept something like that. But, he supposed that there was his Persona so he shouldn't' complain. "Can you also explain the talking cat? What about that thing I summoned as well?"

"Talking cat?!" Morgana's cat body popped out of the bag and looked fiercely towards the male student. "You already know-!"

"Maybe start off why you let Hyoudou-san die." Akira cut the feline off, pushing the cat into the bag.

"I was getting to that." Rias frowned. "The reason I'm here is because of this." She said as she produced a piece of paper with a strange symbol on it.

"What is that?" Akira asked as he leaned in curiously.

"This is what allowed me to be right here right now." She answered. "Issei-kun had one on his person as he laid dying, and his strong desire to live is what called me here. However, what I found was you and that cat fighting that Fallen Angel."

"I-!"

"I don't believe you." Akira declared.

"You don't believe me, but at least listen." Rias countered sternly, causing Akira to nod. "Anyways, under normal circumstance there would have been no reason for that Fallen Anger to kill a simple human."

Wait for it…

"But… unfortunately, there was one for killing Issei-kun." She explained. "Issei-kun has a Sacred Gear inside of his body, and a strong one at that if this Fallen Angel went out of her way to get rid of him. She most likely considered him a threat." She then looked directly towards Akira's eyes. The face he made was frowning a bit. She then realized what she didn't say. "But he can be saved!" She hastily added. "You also have a Sacred… h-hey, where are you going?"

Akira was already walking back to his apartment. "I still have to eat dinner." He stated. "Also, it's getting late. I still want to know what's going on. So we'll have to talk when we both are free. Now if you excuse me, I have to ask this cat why he can talk."

"I'm going to claw your face off!"

The crimson haired teen didn't say anything and instead watched Akira walk away with a bag swinging around wildly. She had so many questions for the boy and the cat, but it seemed she wouldn't be getting any sort of answers until later. She thought that it was okay though. She would have her chances later.

But first, she still had one other task to complete.

 **TakeABreak**

Akira kept running away from the park and towards the apartments where everyone was waiting for him. Farther and farther, the distance he was previous at grew further away with each passing step. He was rushing for two reasons. One of them was simply because of the rush to finish the dinner. The second reason though…

Once he thought he was a fair distance away, he began to slow his pace down by an amount that wouldn't leave him breathless. Reaching over towards the zipper, he pried the metal closing open and Morgana immediately lunged for his face.

"Take this! And that!" The cat ferociously shouted, clawing at Akira's cheeks as the boy tried to pry the feline off. "How do you like me now?!"

Ripping off the cat, Akira managed to hold Morgana at arm's length as the animal tried to swipe at him. At least a couple of minutes passed before the attacking finally stopped. "Better?" The human asked as he gently set Morgana back into the bag.

"Sort of." Morgana grumbled, looking at Akira in the eye as the two of them began walking once again. "What the heck was up with you like that back there anyways? You acted like you didn't know a single thing about me or using Personas! Seriously, what gives?!"

"You have to think about it." Akira adjusted his glasses, speed-walking along the sidewalk to get back to the others faster. "This is like when Ryuji and I first entered the Metaverse. We had no idea what was happening. However, we had you to be able to guide and explain to us the ropes of the situation. Right now though…"

Akira trailed off for Morgana to think about it. "Hmm…" The cat hummed in thought before realizing. "We know nothing about Devils, or Fallen Angels. Even that Sacred Gear thing she was talking about. So we can still keep our powers a secret while she fess' up her own knowledge!"

"Problem though." Akira suddenly threw in, getting Morgana to look at him once more with a look of expectation to answer. "Gremory-san has already seen you talk as well as summon a Persona as well. Plus, you also sounded like you knew what you were doing. So like before, you're going to have to be the one to explain almost everything to her."

"Got it." The animal nodded his head as he continued to be carried in the bag Akira was using. The two of them were silent as they were getting closer and closer to the apartment. Morgana then had a question come to his mind. "So… how does it feel being back in action after so long?"

"It's only been a few months." Akira answered, arriving at the building that was his destination. "Plus, we're technically on vacation as well."

"Yeah, but it's kind of been boring." Morgana sighed before seeming to smirk on his cat face. "Admit it though, you were enjoying yourself during that fight with that moment of adrenaline. But you were a bit on the weak side. It has been a while since your last daily routine of exercise though."

Akira didn't respond as he was climbing up the stairs to the floor that he lived on. But the corner of his mouth twitched. "I think we're going to have more encounters like that in the future. Devils, Fallen Angels, Sacred Gears… What else do you think is out there?"

"Don't know." Morgana replied back. "I honestly thought that Personas were the only sort of supernatural thing that was around as well as Yaldabaoth. Though I guess we should have actually thought about something like this existing in the first place due to that God."

Arriving at the apartment door, the human boy opened up the wooden barrier. Behind the door was an extremely large room filled with decent quality furniture, a couple of antiques, and a flat screen TV. All of the furniture was bought from shops and everything else seemed to follow the pattern. If one would look to the right, they would see that the carpeted part of the room would suddenly turn into a tile floor which revealed a sort of kitchen with all the necessary bits and pieces. There was a small hall that led to the back of the apartment as well, leading towards three bedrooms and a bathroom.

Taking up the living room area was everyone that Akira and Morgana knew. Ryuji was sitting across from Ann as the two of them were busy staring at their textbooks while studying. Yusuke was staring out of the window as usual, admiring the city life from his position. Makoto was busy tutoring Ryuji and Ann with their homework and studies. Futaba was sitting on the couch, flipping through the channels that were on the large TV. Haru meanwhile was keeping an eye on the pot that was full of curry as it was luckily still simmering.

Ryuji was the first one to notice Akira's return as he stood up. "Yo, dude! What happened to you? You look like you got hit by a bus or something."

"Did you run into any trouble on the way back?" Makoto asked, curious as to why the black-haired male arrived back much later than expected.

Everyone's eyes were turned towards Akira. The glasses-wearing boy looked at each and every single one of them. He then looked at Morgana. Finally, he brought his head back up.

"You're not going to believe what happened."

 **Okay, a couple of things. First of all, I'm not going to have the Phantom Thieves being an actual faction and have some sort of alliance. Second, people have been asking me to do pairings. I was not planning to do so at first. But thinking about how I'm going to write future chapters and the ending immediately made me form two pairings in my head. So, I'm going to try to pull those two couples off. It's not going to be very good romance, but I'll try.**

 **Also, I will explain why it's the initiate Personas later.**

 **No flames please.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.**

"Shit… That's freaking insane."

Ryuji was the first one to put his reaction in the most blunt yet genuine way possible as Akira had just finished telling everyone the battle he had just fought in. At this time, everyone was gathered around the dinner table and eating the combination of pasta and curry. Akira's plate was not as empty despite his hunger, but he was too busy explaining the events that had occurred.

"To think that there is more than our Personas and the Metaverse out within the world." Yusuke said in thought, a hand to his chin just as he finished cleaning his plate. "It seems that there is still so much that we have yet to discover and learn about." He put his plate down as he shifted a bit on the couch.

"Well, I know that I'm shocked. But… I'm not sure if I should be surprised or not considering there was Yaldabaoth…" Ann voiced her own opinion, wiping her lips with a napkin. She put her plate on the arm of the couch which she was sitting on. "…Did I actually manage to say the name correctly?"

"Anyways, that was my exact reaction, Lady Ann." Morgana commented from his spot on the table which was in the middle of the flat surface surrounded by his human friends. His mouth sounded like it was full of food. Before anyone could say anything though, the cat swallowed and continued. "But let's gather what we know so far. There are Devils which this Gremory person is. Next, we have Fallen Angels just like Raynare."

"If there are Fallen Angels, wouldn't that mean that there would be normal Angels?" Haru asked, cupping her chin in her hand with a curious expression. She was standing right next to the sink. "I mean… where else would Fallen Angels get their name from?"

"That does sound like it makes perfect sense." Makoto agreed with her fellow college student and friend. She brushed a few strands of hair that were covering her face behind her ear. "Probably they did something that Angels perhaps wouldn't do." Seeing Haru hand her a glass of water, the brunette gladly took it and sipped.

"If that were the case," Yusuke followed up with his own words. "Then that would mean that the Angels have their own set of rules. Not only that, but it also implies that such beings have the ability to sin. At least that is what I think."

Ryuji looked towards the blue-haired boy. "But I thought Angels were pure beings? Like… they wouldn't do all kinds of stuff that would be considered bad." The blonde scratched his head as it began to itch. "Man, this is just getting even crazier by the second." He slouched in his seat. "Though I guess first seeing the Metaverse was the most bizarre thing to ever happen."

"Speaking of bad stuff…" Ann let out a small sigh after taking another satisfying bite of the dinner they were all enjoying. "Didn't Gremory-san say something that Fallen killing Hyoudou-san for some kind of reason?"

Morgana nodded his head. "Yeah, she said he was killed because he had something called a Sacred Gear. Gremory-san seemed pretty confident as well that the Persona ability is a Sacred Gear as well." He tilted his head while closing his eyes with a thin line created by his lip. "But she also saw me in my humanoid form as well as summon my own Persona. So, there's that chance that she would be reconsidering that idea."

"Actually, now that I think about it," Ryuj placed his arms on the table and leaned forward. Both eyes were on Akira as the black-haired teen was still in the middle of eating. "How did you manage to end up summoning your Persona in the middle of the park? You didn't accidentally press the app since its gone. You weren't in the Metaverse or even Mementos as well." After his small moment of talking he paused and felt eyes on his person. Slowly looking around, he saw that everyone was staring at him. "What?"

"It's an extremely rare occasion that Ryuji is able to come up with some smart things." Futaba jested with a small grin. She took her can of soda and took a huge gulp before placing it on the table she was sitting at.

"Shut up!" The blonde muttered, leaning back into his seat.

"But he's got a point." Morgana put of a look that practically screamed that he meant business. Or… that would be the look. It was hard to tell on Morgana's cat face. "I don't even know how we were able to summon our Personas in that situation. Heck, it's amazing that I was even able to transform into my humanoid form to begin with."

"Either way, what should we all do?" Haru asked, gaining the attention from everyone this time. "Gremory-san seems to have a pretty good idea of your abilities right now, Akira. She's even heard and seen Morgana speak. What if she finds out more about you?"

"Which is why we all need to be careful." Akira finally spoke up as he was the one that was finally addressed. "I'm not sure, but she may be suspicious of all of us. If any of you are approached by Gremory-san, try to make sure that you don't reveal anything unnecessary to her. This includes you both as well, Makoto and Haru." He then straightened his back yet kept his weight against the table. "I'll try to see how much I can get out of Gremory-san. But if any of you run into a Fallen Angel, either run or do not hold back when fighting. They're tougher than the average Shadow. The one who I fought managed to get both my legs due to me underestimating them. A mistake I won't let happen again."

Everyone nodded their heads in confirmation, already agreeing to the simple plan that Akira had created for them. But then Makoto began to chuckle. "Just like old times, right? All of us gathering together and planning our next move. Brings back good memories."

Taking the time to let those words sink in, all the Phantom Thieves reacted in their own different way. Akira nodded with a normal nod that was his signature expression. Ryuji grinned and verbally agreed. Ann smiled while pumping her fist. Yusuke closed his eyes but a small grew on his lips. Futaba grinned at the memories. Haru smiled. Morgana smirked.

All of them being misfits in their own fashion. What happened to them all was what caused them to become who they are. All the hardships. All the sacrifices they made. All the pain they endured. It was certainly worth it.

"Well…" Ann stood up while stretching. "Who's ready for dessert?"

Taking a second to comprehend what the female said, everyone else look at their stomachs with conflicting expressions.

 **TakeABreak**

The Phantom Thieves walked through the school gates of Kuoh Academy as if nothing had even happened. But even so, each of them still carried the weight of new knowledge in their minds. Soon though, each of them saw a group of girls pointing behind them with angry faces. Stopping, all of them looked over their shoulders and each of them took on their own form of surprise.

Walking towards the school entrance was the last person they expected to see: Issei Hyoudou, alive, breathing, and apparently back from the dead.

"What?!" Ann exclaimed turning around completely to face the perverted boy as he walked towards the gates.

Akira looked around, and he soon saw Rias standing behind a tree a bit distant away from Issei. She seemed to have noticed his gaze and looked away guiltily while Issei was looking completely clueless about something.

"Dude," Ryuji whispered a bit loudly but nobody other than those close to him could hear such. "Didn't you say that Hyousou-san was supposed to be dead? Then why the hell is he up around kicking as if nothing happened?"

"Hmm, it seems that there is perhaps more to this Devil and Fallen Angel business that we have anticipated." Yusuke furrowed his brow in thought. "It's best if we tread throughout our day carefully."

"Agreed." Akira nodded.

 **TakeABreak**

The rest of the day and the next few days afterwards were spent being unable to get together with Rias and anyone associated with her to contact him. One would assume that he was avoiding her as an over the top reaction.

It wasn't quite that, especially the reaction bit after what Akira and the other 3rd year Phantom thieves overheard Issei saying to his friends. The used-to-be-dead boy kept talking about a girl named Yuuma but no one remembered her, not a single person. The male-brunette also kept talking about a date as well. A date with Yuuma to be specific but once again no one remembered her. Not a single soul. Akira's first guess was that this 'Yuuma' character was in fact Raynare considering the park was free of any people and the time was perfect to be having a date.

In other words, it was a perfect setup for the Fallen Angel to murder Issei.

However, the Phantom Thieves also noticed that Issei was sincere. The way he talked and the words he said truly did make them believe that not even they had any idea what was going on. As far as they could tell, Issei was perfectly innocent and was in complete control of his own actions as well.

Getting back to the meeting times though, there were two more people the Persona-users could add onto their list that were associated with Rias: Kiba and Akeno.

Why Kiba? The second day after Issei's mysterious return to life Kiba pulled Issei out of the class to take him to the Occult Club which apparently belonged to Rias according to what Akira heard Issei talking about one day. Why Akeno? Because she was always seen hanging around near Rias and was unnaturally close to her as well. It likely wasn't a normal relationship.

It was extremely tough to get together with the red-head considering that the schedule that he had planned out did not work out at all. He already had a job and he knew that his boss wouldn't allow the change.

Ann, Ryuji, and Yusuke came to this kind of conclusion as the three of them were approached by both Rias and Akeno. It was already after school and Akira had rushed off for his part-time job. At the two girls, the female-blonde was the first to address them. "Ah, Gremory-san, Himejima-san, is there something wrong?" Ann asked.

"No, there isn't. Thank you for your concern though." Rias answered with a small shake of her head, addressing the three of them. "I was just wondering where Akira-kun is. We promised that we were going to have a chat together but then I haven't heard from him since. I was hoping that the three of you knew where he is."

The trio of Phantom Thieves looked at each other. With a of shrug his shoulders, Ryuji was the one to answer. "He's at his part-time job." He looked back at the two females. "A first name basis though…" He muttered.

"Could you perhaps tell me where he works?" Rias questioned, not hearing the male blonde's comment.

Yusuke took out a small notepad and quickly began to scribble on it. "You will find Akira at this location." Ripping the piece of paper out, he handed the writing over to the two Great Ladies as the red-head took it into her hands. "I am actually curious though. What is it that you must discuss with him?"

"That's a secret." Akeno sang out from the side as both females thanked them and began to look for the area where Akira worked.

They didn't notice the three they had just left not move as they simply watched. Taking out his phone, Ryuji was the one who sent a text.

 _[Gremory-san and Himejima-san are going to meet you at work.]_

 **TakeABreak**

"So, Akira-kun works here?" Akeno asked, turning to Rias.

The Neko no Mise was a strange place and that wasn't just by café standards either. It was a café that at first glance, looking nothing more than the simple sit-in café but there was something more to it than just that. The Neko no Mise actually had a separate section of the building that was meant to shelter many cats such as black cats, fat cats, rare breed cats or ex-stray cats. So while one would enjoy a drink for example, they could also be accompanied by a cat as long as the feline was not fed or given drink by the customer.

It was a strange but it was equally as effective since business was pretty well.

Sitting at a table with the view of the window were Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima. They had just arrived and for them it seemed to be a lively place. It was clean, the service was good, and it was absolutely adorable when they decided to play with the cats for a little bit. It took a lot of willpower to separate themselves from the felines as they remembered that they were on business.

"Apparently." The red-head responded.

"Sorry for the wait. I had already taken my break and had to work until my shift was finished."

Both Rias and Akeno turned their heads and saw Akira standing there with his school uniform back on, school bag hanging from his shoulder, and Morgana poking his head out from the opened area that the zipper did not close.

"Oh my, that is a cute sight." Akeno said off the bat with amusement, staring at Morgana and Akira. "Do you usually carry a cat around in your bag?"

"I've grown used to it, so it's not so bad." Morgana stated, getting a surprised reaction from Akeno. As Akira took a seat, Morgana creeped out of the bag and leapt up onto the table before stretching. "Mmmmm, that's so much better! It's tough to constantly keep still inside the bag though. Akira insists on me wandering the café like other cats, but who else is going to help him get through the shift by telling him what is needed to be known?"

"…The cat is talking." Akeno looked over to Akira. "Why is the cat talking?" She then began to look around and noticed something. "More importantly, why isn't anyone noticing this?" Not letting anyone answer, she attempted to pick Morgana up as the cat began to fuss around.

"…There was something you wanted to tell me?" Akira easily brought Rias' attention back to the reason why she was still around the café in the first place.

Rias looked at Akeno and Morgana as the female continued to tease the feline. But a quick tap from the black-haired male brought Morgana back to a calm persona and the feline walked back. With silence between the four of them, the red-head felt like she could continue. "Yes, there is. I wanted to continue the explanation from before."

"Go for it." Akira nodded his head.

"But I would also like for you to answer questions that I have but later due to how we both must have busy schedules." She replied. Rias folded her arms, noticing the immediate silence from the male. Was he really that protective of secrets that he held?

"Go for it then." Morgana answered, laying down on the table in a relaxed manner. "This guy here doesn't really know much about his power."

"And you do?" Rias question, getting a look from Morgana. It may have been on the cat-face, but it was sure giving away an expression that made the feline look annoyed. Deciding to take the silence as a yes, she began to give away information. "Anyways, you've already noticed Issei-kun is back from the dead. But that is only part of the story."

"Tell me something new." Akira said, now being on the receiving end of an annoyed look himself. "Sorry, continue."

Rias narrowed her eyes slightly. "The fact is that Issei-kun has become a Devil now. A Pawn to be exact."

Morgana looked up with a small look of interest. "Pawn?" Was the question that was on both his and Akira's mind. "As in a chess piece Pawn?"

"That is correct." Rias nodded with her small reply. "You see, we Devils have a system called the Evil Pieces which is set up just like chess. There are 15 chess pieces in total and they are used to reincarnate other being into the Devils; 8 Pawns, 2 Rooks, 2 Knights, 2 Bishops, and one Queen."

…Weren't there actually sixteen pieces when it came down to chess? Akira stored that into the back of his mind. "Why would Devils need to do that? The way you're talking makes me think that there are a lot of Devils still walking around."

Rias probably saw this question coming as she had a good yet lengthy answer. "A long time ago a war was waged between the Three Factions: Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels. This was known as the Great War and caused heavy causalities on all sides before it was over. In all means of the word, it was cataclysmic to all three of the Factions." She paused before allowing the information to sink in. "We Devils developed the Evil Piece system in order to get our numbers back."

Akira and Morgana shared a look. Looks like the Phantom Thieves were right when it came down to the fact that there were Angels in the mix as well since there were Devils and Fallen Angels. But they did not expect something like a war that ended and caused such results.

"When a being is reincarnated using one of the Evil Pieces they take on the traits of said piece. Each piece has its own strengths." Rias continued.

…He then slowly began to remember the thought that he had a couple of moments ago. "So you must be a King piece then." Akira deduced before looking at Akeno. "And she must be the Queen."

Akeno giggled. "It seems I've been found out."

Despite the quick deduction, Rias did not find herself surprised in the slightest. This was one of the best students in Kuoh Academy academic-wise. "How did you know that?"

"Well…" Akira glanced out of the window they were next to briefly. "The Queen is the closest piece to the king and you two are always together." A single eye behind a pair of glasses looked at the two ladies. "The Queen is also the strongest piece on the board and the most fitting to protect the King. It wouldn't be wise to leave the King unprotected."

Being given an explanation, Rias leaned forward. "Do you play chess?" She asked.

"I've played shogi. Does that count?" Akira replied with a question of his own.

"…" Rias wasn't really sure how to answer that question so she avoided it. "You are correct about the Queen being the strongest piece asides from the King." She said with a nod of her head. "Although, I think we should start from the bottom rather than the top, so that would be the Pawn." A small pause before continuing. "A Pawn in a front line fighter and the lowest of all the pieces. But…" She said with a smirk. "A simple Pawn can become very strong. Like in normal chess, a Pawn can promote to a Queen, Rook, Bishop, or Knight."

…Once more, the two Phantom Thieves out of the four of them shared a look. "Imagine what it would be like with a team of nine Queens, counting the original one." Morgana commented. "That would be terrifying."

"The next piece is the Rook." Rias continued her explanation. "A Rook has superhuman strength and possesses both high defensive and offensive capabilities. However, they normally aren't that quick."

Akira made such a comparison to Ryuji. The blonde was like the muscle of their group, being more active than most of them after all. The blonde could even take a few decent hits before dropping down. But, he was part of the track team before and even when leaving could still run so that's where similarities could possibly end.

"Then there is the Knight. A Knight possesses great speed and mobility which allows them to perform high-speed techniques. However, they have low defense. " Rias said.

Just like Yusuke, enough said without a doubt.

"The Bishop is the next piece. The characteristic of the Bishop are their enhanced magical abilities that allows them to conjure a variety of different spells. However, more powerful spells and abilities consume a lot of magical power and it takes a long time for it to return on its own."

Easily could make the comparison to both Ann and Morgana considering that they would mainly focus of their own magical abilities provided to them by their Personas. "Huh… You think I would make a good Bishop, Akira?" Morgana asked as he looked up to the Wild Card. Apparently, the cat had the same idea.

"You're not joining her side." He stated.

"…I'll just take that as a yes then." Morgana sweat dropped but knew that he meant well. "Let me take a guess though. That means that the Queen piece is the strongest of all these Evil Pieces."

"That is correct…" Rias trailed off, looking at the cat with narrowed eyes. "Sorry, I actually don't know your name."

"…Morgana." The cat answered flatly.

"That is correct, Morgana-chan." Akira had to put a hand on top of Morgana's body in order to prevent the feline from pouncing. "The Queen possesses all the abilities of the weaker pieces and, as such, is very powerful."

"What about the King?" Akira was the one to ask once more.

"The King is the master and a top-class Devil that the Evil Pieces were given to in the first place." Rias replied. "All of the pieces are the King's servants."

"So, as King you can do anything you want to do to your servants?" Akira asked bluntly. This was something he needed to confirm before this went anywhere else.

It was slightly reminding him about how it was with Kamoshida and how the man thought of Shujin Academy as his own palace. Therefore, everyone was like a slave to him. But Akira was getting off-topic and that's where similarities ended.

"Technically speaking, I could." Rias stated, causing Akira to stare at her emotionlessly while Morgana glanced over with a sharp look towards her. "However, I take care of my servants and to me they are like family. But there are some Devils that don't have the same thought process as I though."

"Interesting…" Morgana muttered. There were bound to be others that weren't as courteous.

"Hyoudou-san?" The human male of the four of them said the name in question form.

Rias looked at Akira with a bit of confusion when he said that name. But then realization came to her face when it had hit her. "Issei-kun is well taken care of, I assure you." She replied without hesitation after with a warm smile.

"That's good to hear." Akira nodded his own head, still with a straight face. "There was something about a Sacred Gear you mentioned but you never explained what it was."

Rias nodded before elaborating. "A Scared Gear is an artifact that was bestowed upon a human by the God of the Bible."

God of the Bible giving artifacts like that? Really? "Sounds extravagant." He commented.

"They are, but they are also extremely rare. Because of their power, Devils often try to recruit humans with Sacred Gears into their ranks." Rias state knowingly. She had done the same with Issei after all.

"Is that why you brought him back? For his Sacred Gear?" Akira asked with an even look on his face.

Rias bit her lip. There was just a feeling inside her that said that she had to choose her words wisely. "That is… correct. However, in doing so I saved Issei-kun's life and as I stated before, he won't be mistreated in my care."

Akira nodded his head in satisfaction while Morgana stood up to stretch once more. It was a lot to take in but it also answered a lot of their questions. Their eyes looked up to see the looks on Rias' and Akeno's faces. They seemed to be anxious about something, well, at least Rias did. Akeno had a smiling poker face going on.

Akira thought about the option he could say next. What is it? Spit it out. Wipe that look off your face. Naturally, out of the three options, he went for the forth one. "You both are scaring me." He stated with his usual straight look, not even having the feeling of fear dwell within however.

"Well, it's just since you've heard the explanation of the Peerage system, I would like to ask you to join my peerage as my second Knight." Rias offered with a friendly smile. "Kiba-kun is my other Knight."

"No thanks." He said bluntly with a shake of his head as Morgana snickered. "As interesting as that sounds, I think I'm going to keep my humanity. I can't imagine coming into this world as something and then going out as something else entirely."

The red-head sighed. "While I'm sad to hear that, I won't push you much on the matter. But the offer still remains if you ever change your mind." Rias stated with a glimmer of hope. The next time she would bring such a topic up he had to make sure he'd drop the anvil of bluntness onto her. "Although, if you don't' mind me asking, could you perhaps explain what that thing you summoned was? Perhaps why you had to rip a mask off as well?"

Honestly should have seen that coming.

"Alright, this is where I step in." Morgana rolled his neck and sat proudly. "You see, everyone wears a mask deep within their heart." He began to explain. "Such a mask is worn to protect their inner vulnerabilities. By ripping off their protective masks and confronting their inner selves, a Persona is summoned."

"Basically, not a Sacred Gear." Akira added.

"I… see…" Rias said, seemingly disappointed that the ability that Akira wasn't a Sacred Gear. But still, there was a bit of satisfaction to her learning the mystery behind what the boy had summoned since Morgana pulled off the same trick as well. Looking up at a clock, she began to stand up. "I'd like to talk to you a bit more about your… Persona was it? However, we have some matters to attend to." She gave a small polite bow. "Allow me to offer another piece of information as a sign of good faith."

"And that is?" An eyebrow was raised.

"My peerage is not the only one in Kuoh Academy." Rias said before leaving the café with Akeno.

Akira just looked out the window as Morgana walked back into the school bag. "What do you think?" He soon asked as he stood up and grabbed his bag.

"I don't think she lied during the entire time she talked to us." Morgana said as he took a ride and exited the café as well to go to the apartments they were living in. "I'm still not sure if we should trust her though. I feel like she's leaving some information out.

Humming, Akira reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone with the screen that was turned on. He was not surprised at this considering how he had called someone before meeting up with Rias and Akeno and kept it on. Seeing as how it was connected to the call still, he hung up and brought up the group chat the Phantom Thieves used as began to send a text.

 _[So what do you guys think?]_

 **No flames please.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.**

Akira began to find himself in a familiar place as his eyes began to open.

He last remembered going to sleep after going over the events that had happened from the past hours. After that, he went to bed to sleep. But now he woke up, his back on a solid surface that was not the mattress that he once felt before entering his slumber.

Slowly pushing himself up and looking down, the dark, yet blue, coloring glared at him as he began to get back up. Sitting on the flat surface that he once laid on, he rubbed his face. Throwing his legs to the side, he started to stand up to get a better look of his surroundings.

Hearing a sound coming from his right, he slowly craned his head in that direction and remembered the bars and jail cell that he once occupied before. But just like before, as he last remembered, the steel cage was wide open. Even with the barrier gone, Akira only walked up to the doorway and did not pass the frame.

A few meters away from his cell, a single man sat in a chair with a table set up in front of his being. His legs were extremely long and skinny, to a point of a description of lanky; which could also be said for his arms. He kept his arms on the table as he was constantly hunched over while his chin rested on his hand. The man's age was rather elderly with an extremely long nose, pointed ears, and bulging, bloodshot eyes.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." Igor greeted with that usual smile that nearly looked sinister. Eyes were nearly popping out of the man's sockets with every passing second. The long-nosed being chuckled in amusement. "You are much more remarkable than before when we parted ways. It becomes the most of rare occasions when we make contact with a guest after their journey. Or nothing more than a game for you."

Akira stared for a bit, trying to think up of something to say. Listening to Igor's words, he took notice of the last bit of the man's final sentence. "After their journey?"

With the tap of light footsteps, Akira slowly poked his head out of the cell and looked down to see yet another familiar face. A young girl stared back at him with her golden eyes. With her short stature, it was accompanied by long platinum hair. She wore a blue Victorian dress, and a stylish matching headband with white-butterfly ornaments and yellow roses. "Of course." Lavenza nodded her head, keeping a book tucked under her arm since she was stationed around that spot from the beginning. "Did you think that you were the only one?"

"We have had many guests throughout time." Igor began, gaining their attention once more. "Only a small handful of others have shown themselves not to be any stranger to the Velvet Room after their adventure. But perhaps that will be for another time. Who knows. Maybe you've already seem them before."

"Can you tell me why I'm here?" Akira asked, still deciding not to walk out of the confines of the cell he was in despite being allowed the freedom to wander around. "I thought that my time with this place was done… Not that I hate it."

"It is understandable to why you think so." Igor nodded his head slowly. "As I have said before, it is a rare opportunity for one to be invited to the Velvet Room after their journey. But, you are perhaps one of the most interesting guests so far. Which is why we have brought you here due to your current standpoint."

"Current…" Akira muttered, putting a hand to his chin. "You're talking about the Devils and Fallen Angels."

"Devils, Angels, Fallen Angels, Gods, all mythology within reality." The long-nosed male listed slowly yet in a captivating manner. "I shall tell you now, this is not a game like before. Instead, this is a series of events that shall unfold by each action done by you and the people which you have chosen to stay with."

"Nothing but supernatural powers shall be at work during your journey." Lavenza took another step forward, now ending up in front of the guest of the current Velvet Room. "You have already chosen to place your faith in humanity once before. Feel free to gain strength from its figures." Grabbing the book under her arm, she held it out with both of her small hands.

As Akira stared, Igor chuckled. "I suggest taking a hold and reading it. Trickster." The boy looked up when he was referred to as his nickname by those related to the Velvet Room. "It is nearly never seen that a guest hold his or her own Compendium in their own hands."

"You have summoned your original self before, correct?" Lavenza asked.

Akira looked at the girl's features. "You mean Arsene?"

"Correct." Lavenza nodded her head in confirmation. "Though what you name Mementos and the Metaverse are gone, your abilities still exist. Perhaps due to the amount of supernatural energy. When you read this, you will be granted the strengths that you have once wielded. Not as a 'Wild Card', but as the Trickster that you have been titled with. A character that always has something up their sleeve when the time shall arise."

Looking at the book that was being presented to him, the black-haired male slowly reached over and took the book into his hands. As soon as the Velvet Room attendant released her grip, Akira nearly dropped the Compendium in complete surprise at how heavy it was.

Just managing to cup it into his arms, Akira placed a single finger onto one of the random pages of the book and opened it up. As soon as he opened it though, he saw nothing but blank paper. Something took into immediate effect though as a single white mask shot up and struck him straight in the middle of his head.

As Lavenza caught the Compendium before it could hit the ground, Akira clutched his head once again. He heard laughter. It wasn't his. It was not Igor's. It was not Lavenza.

It was Arsene.

Once more, the Persona within him laughed with complete amusement. But the sudden feeling was more of a headache rather than constant pain. He could feel strength and power that dwelled within him rise once again. The laughter grew louder as well. As the feeling grew, the sounds of Arsene's amusement increased in volume as well. Within a flash of blue and white fire after a few seconds, Akira recovered immediately and recognized himself in his usual Phantom Thief attire.

But that was not all. Before when he fought Raynare, he only had his simple knife and gun. Now, it was different.

The gun he held was bigger yet could still fit and was weighed perfectly in his hand. The black color followed by the red veins creeped from one end of the barrel all the way to the other end with the colors pulsing as if alive. Under the barrel however was a design that would be disturbing to some. Such a look resembled a human spine and small ribcage but with black metal solidifying the spaces between the metal bones until it curved itself to form a guard around the trigger. He remembered using such a weapon and the great Persona of the Star arcana used to create it; the Tyrant Pistol was given form thanks to Lucifer.

But the blade in his other hand was much different than what he had ever used. It was nearly too big to be considered a knife but still not long enough to be called a short sword. It almost looked like it was made of obsidian due to its color. The blade nearly looked like a cutlass with its look alone due to its appearance and size. A D-guard in the shape of a skull around the grip of the handle but cut itself off near the bottom to make space for the hand to move as the hilt seemed to grow from the skull and created the image of two horns. The blade was straight at first, but the last quarter curved itself. A peculiar part of the blade was that the back of the weapon looked slightly rough, almost being comparable to a human spine painted black.

The presence from the melee weapon felt massive and familiar. "…Satanael…" Akira said to himself.

"Yes." Igor answered with a not. "The Persona of the ultimate rebel sealed inside the weapon which shall be known as Paradise Lost. A name which is almost appropriate. Am I safe to assume that you are wondering why you have only Arsene?"

Akira didn't answer as that was what he was thinking. Lavenza however began to remind the man. "Nothing but inhuman beings shall become people or things that you shall meet along your journey should you choose to walk the path. You have chosen to represent humanity. Is it not logical for your Persona to be such?"

He only stared at the woman who stared back with an equal expression. Looking at the two weapons in his hands, he could still hear Arsene's laughter which has now turned into cackling. "Wouldn't have it any other way." He answered with a roguish smirk. But then it occurred to him. "What about my friends?"

"Who knows what will happen?" Lavenza stated as she gently pushed Akira back further into his cell. Slowly as he could feel himself drift away, Igor's voice reached his ears.

"This may be the last time we see each other. But if not, until we meet again."

 **TakeABreak**

"Hey, are you okay? You seem to be a bit out of it."

Akira peeked down into his desk to see Morgana taking shelter in the small space. The feline seemed to be staring with a slightly concerned expression. "Is it because of your visit to the Velvet Room?"

He had told everyone of his experience. Luckily, they had just managed to play it cool as they had neared the gates and grounds of Kuoh Academy. Apparently, their conversation from last night as well had been brought into the morning with the subject of the Velvet Room added in. Thankfully, Akira managed to put a stop to most of the questioning due to even him not really having any more ideas of what was to come.

"I'm fine." Akira said as he began scribbling more notes that he could think of. But those notes weren't related to the subject he had just sat though. Such writing was already done in a separate part of the notebook he was using. "I'm just trying to figure something out."

They were actually related to what Rias said to him yesterday. The red-haired Devil had revealed that her peerage wasn't the only peerage in Kuoh Academy, meaning there was at least one more. There could be several based on the vague information that she had provided. The fact that there could be more Devils and the possibility that they might not be as friendly as Rias forced Akira to think about how to approach such a situation if it were ever to arise.

So far as he could narrow it down, lesser Devils weren't likely to be too far from their King. What that meant was that there was a likeliness that they would all be in the same club or they group together. Sadly, that narrowed it down to everyone but him and the Phantom Thieves.

"Is it about what Gremory-san said?" Morgana asked, wanting to take a peek upwards. Akira however lowered the notebook and flipped it around so that the animal could read it. "Hmm…" He hummed before nodding and allowing the human to bring his book back up. "Well, let's start over. Gremory said there was a 'peerage' meaning that there is more than one Devil. The King is probably the leader of the group or club he or she is in."

"If they have a Queen then she…" Akira kept quiet and trailed off at the end for a second. "…Or he will probably be next to the King more often than not." He noted this from what he's seen from Rias and Akeno. "Who could that possibly be though? Maybe…"

At that moment, Akira noticed a shadow looming over his desk from the front and luckily not the back, otherwise Morgana would have been noticed. When he looked up, he was pleasantly surprised to see Tsubaki Shinra standing there, looking down at him with a stony gaze. Tsubaki Shinra was a 3rd year Kuoh Academy student, fourth most popular girl in the high-school section, and the Student Council Vice-President. In other words, a big deal.

"Can I help you?" Akira asked politely. No reason to be rude, especially to the Vice-President. That as well as they were in the middle of the classroom where they were currently gaining more and more eyes staring at them.

"You are Akira-kun, correct?" Tsubaki responded with a serious face.

"That depends…" Akira answered with a straight face. "Is he in trouble?"

…He shouldn't have said that.

Luckily, the girl didn't seem to be too angry or unimpressed. "Please follow me." She requested, simply ignoring the question. "The Student Council President wishes to see you. Now." She gestured towards the door with a gesture before waiting out in the hall.

"Sure." Akira nodded his head, seeing that there was no other choice anyways. Packing his things, he allowed Morgana to slip into the bag just before partially zipping it closed. Standing up, he looked at the person who sat in front of him.

Just like in Shujin, it was Ann luckily as the blonde girl watched him with curious eyes. As everyone else had their eyes on him due to the vice-president of the student council asking him to walk with her, he knew that he could perhaps act a bit subtle.

Tapping his right pocket a few times while walking, he then raised his hand to adjust his glasses before he was out of the classroom to follow Tsubaki.

Ann was the only one who even suspected such actions as she pulled her phone out of her right pocket and began to text someone.

 **TakeABreak**

The entire walk to the Student Council room was silent. As Akira followed behind Tsubaki, the only thoughts he could muster were ones that made him wonder what happened to make him have to come to such a room once again.

Did Ryuji do something again and he was somehow involved with it?

"Akira-kun."

The boy blinked. "Yes, Shinra-san?"

"Please, Tsubaki is fine." She stated without looking back at him. "If you are wondering, you are not in any sort of trouble."

Akira only nodded his head. But that easily left a single question open. Then what was he being called in for? Taking out his phone, he had a feeling that this was another conversation that should probably be heard from by everyone else. Luckily, Futaba created a recording app that was installed on any one of their phones. All they had to do was get the girl to activate it from her own phone and words would be recorded as long as a call was playing out.

There was still the issue of cellphone bills, but he hardly used the calling feature and had unlimited texts.

At that moment, Akira and Tsubaki arrived at a pair of large and ornate double doors. Seconds later, Tsubaki pulled them open to reveal the Student Council room which, in Akira's opinion, looked like a special court room. The Council room had elevated rows of seats that were meant for the members of the Student Council and observers to sit. Below the elevated seats, there was a space with a tall wooden chair placed in the middle which completed the very authoritative look.

Akira glanced over to Tsubaki and received a nod. He stepped into the room towards the chair in the middle of the space and immediately felt gazes upon him. He looked up and saw all of the members of the Student Council assembled and sitting in the elevated seats. Akira slightly frowned as he didn't notice them before.

"Sit." An authoritative voice stated.

Akira silently took a seat.

That was when he saw the student council president herself, Souna Shitori, in all her glory. She was sitting on her seat just a few feet away from the chair which Akira sat on and was staring at him with calculating eyes. Akira probably saw her the most out of the 3rd years that weren't his friends. Oh right… she was also the third most popular girl in Kuoh Academy's high-school branch: above Tsubaki, but below Akeno and Rias.

Souna, which he thought by his own opinion that would be drowned in many others if other students could invade his mind, was very attractive and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't attracted to her. Souna looked to be in her late teens just like all the other 3rd years. She had short black hair in a bob cut, sharp calculating violet eyes, and a slim figure with modest sized breasts. She wore her school uniform with a pair of black rimmed, oval spectacles right over her face which helped her radiate a mature, dignified and intelligent aura.

"Akira-san," Souna said coolly. "Do you know why you are here?"

"No." Such a response was shameless yet completely honest at the same time.

"I see." Souna responded with a nod. "Well, allow me to formally introduce myself." She said with a push of her glasses. "While everyone in school knows me by the name Souna Shitori, Student Council President, my real name is Sona Sitri."

…Aw shit. Everyone in this room but he and Morgana were Devils weren't they?

At that moment a pair of wings, very similar to the ones that Rias had when she revealed herself as a Devil, appeared on Sona's back. However, it wasn't just her. Everybody in the seats sprouted them as well. Akira leaned over and looked behind the chair at Tsubaki. She too had the black wings sprouting out of her back. Akira had just sat himself down in a room filled with Devils and he had no idea if they were friends or foes.

"You're Devils." Akira sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. This was either going to go well or be annoying like the times he and the others ended up being surrounded by shadows. "So, what is it that you want?" Despite his reaction seeming to be annoyed, he asked the question with complete indifference.

"You most likely already know what I'm going to offer you." Sona stated knowingly with a cross of her arms.

The boy nodded. "You want me to join your peerage, correct? As a Knight?" He then paused to think. "Gremory-san told me about you, didn't she?" He did his best not to deadpan.

"Correct." Sona nodded. "Back to the topic at hand though. The recommended piece for you is a Knight." She stated again. "However, I also have a few Pawns and a Rook left. I can't imagine leaving it as something else."

"I'll just tell you what I told Gremory-san. I came into this world as a human. I can't imagine leaving it as something else."

"Understandable." Sona nodded. "I will respect your wishes, but it you ever change your mind, you'll always have a place in my peerage."

"Thank you." Akira said as he started to get up out of his chair. "Is that all? Can I go now?"

"Sit."

Akira resisted the urge to sigh as he sat down.

"This is for both you and… Morgana-san." She said as she stared at the bag next to Akira. She watched as the black-haired boy stared at her for a couple of seconds. With a reluctant expression, he bent down and brought the bag to his lap. With a cat head popping out and shaking its own skull, she began to continue. Looks like the complaints of meowing coming from his bag were true after all. "The two of you have entered a world that most of humanity is not aware of. As a Student Council President, it is my job to look after the students here in Kuoh, so I can't allow you to proceed any further without properly informing you of the situation."

Akira just stared as this was sounding so similar to Rias. But the next choice of words partially surprised him.

"I can tell that you don't trust me." The violet eyed girl stated bluntly. "I wouldn't trust me either if I were in your shoes." Her gaze sharpened as the two in her vision shared a look. "However, I will tell your right now that what I say is the truth. All that I tell you will be explained to the best of my ability, I swear."

"And what incentive do we have to believe that?" Morgana asked in a surprisingly defiant tone. Many of the Student Council members did a double-take when hearing the cat talk. But a few gasped. "Why would you help us? You're just a stranger, right? Explain to us why we should believe you."

"Because I don't want you to die." Such a reply that held much honesty made both Akira and Morgana blink in surprise. "You were unfortunate enough to be dragged into this side of the world. You got involved not by your own choice and if you died because of that, Rias… and myself would feel responsible." She continued. "Trust me, all I want to do is help."

An everlasting silence seemed to fill the air as Akira and Morgana stared at Sona. Grey and blue orbs looked deeply into her violet ones before Morgana looked up. "What do you think?"

"I'll give her the chance and believe her." Akira nodded with sincerity. "We may not like what we're about to hear, but I'll trust what she tells us is the truth."

"That is all I ask for." Sona replied with thanks being a silent word. "I suppose I should start with the Three Factions."

"Go for it."

Sona narrowed her eyes. "Let's start with Angels." She said as she knit her fingers together. "Angels are the creation of the God of the Bible and are Devils' most mortal enemies."

A bit obvious, but he shouldn't judge.

"Angels are identified by their white wings, the halos around their heads, and their ability to project spears of light." Sona explained. "Light is our weakness and their spears are very lethal to us Devils."

Morgana raised an eyebrow. "Then that woman we fought at the park, she had black wings but could still make light spears. Is she a Fallen Angel? What happened for someone to become like that?"

"You are correct about her being a Fallen Angel." Sona stated with a nod. "A Fallen Angel is an Angel that has performed a sinful act of some kind and has 'fallen from grace' as a result." Just as Haru, Makoto, and Yusuke had predicted. "But let's return to the Heaven's Angels topic. Angels reside in Heaven and their power is measured by the number of wings they possess. The most powerful Angels are the Archangels, and among them, Micheal and Gabriel are the strongest." Just like his Personas before but he didn't bring that up. "They, like us Devils, suffered a considerable amount of causalities during the war.

Morgana had a slight frown as a thought came to mind. "If you Devils invented the Evil Pieces to replenish your numbers, then how are the Angels coping?

"That, I can honestly say, is something I have no clue about." Sona stated with a shake of her head. "God of the Bible can simply create Angels but besides that I honestly have no idea how they are doing in terms of numbers."

"And the Fallen Angels?" Akira asked curiously.

"They usually reside in the Underworld along with Devils due to being banished from Heaven." She answered. "They are essentially identical to normal Angels with the exception of the black wings and the missing halo. They do, of course, follow a different leadership and have formed an organization called Grigori."

"What an ugly name." Akira stated.

Morgana got back on topic. "So, who leads them?"

"The first Angels that fell from Heaven." Sona said coolly. "The Grigori organization has several leaders, but one among them is the supreme leader that leads the whole faction. The Governor General, Azazel."

Akira nearly snorted at the fact that this grand leader held the same name as when Shadow Madarame fought him.

"Now, let me move onto Devils." Sona began.

"Makes me wonder how much Gremory-san left out about this subject considering the amount of details you're telling us right now." Morgana commented with his head leaning downwards.

"…I am beginning to wonder that myself right now." Sona commented but still moved on. "Devils reside in the Underworld and possess bat-like wings but there are some exceptions to that rule." Sona quickly flapped her wings. "All Devils possess superhuman stangth and endurance, enhanced senses, and the ability called 'Language' which allows us to understand any spoken language to us and for us to be understood by the speaker."

Akira whistled lowly. "Handy."

"It is." Sona nodded. "In addition, Devils can use magic like the other two factions. But, as I stated before, we Devils have a weakness to light. Not only that, but we also have a weakness for holy and religious artifacts such as holy water."

Didn't he make the Judge of the Dead revolver from Michael for Makoto and the Heaven's Gate automatic rifle from Uriel for Yusuke? Would those count as holy artifacts? It would probably be best for him to tell them not to pull out their guns against friendly Devils.

"As for who leads our faction, they are the Four Great Maou." Sone added rather quickly. "They are named Lucifer, Leviathan, Asmodeus, and Beelzebub, after the four original Satans."

…Right… the Tyrant Pistol made from Lucifer for him while Haru wielded the Fleurs du Mal axe that was from Beelzebub's sacrifice. He had a feeling he was just digging his own grave in a sense somehow.

"So I take it the original four are dead?" Morgana inquired.

"Yes." Sona answered without a second of hesitation. "They were killed during the Great War. Now, we have four new Maou leading us." She paused for a second. "Are you both familiar with the 72 Pillars?" Morgana and Akira shook their heads. "The 72 Pillars are clans of Devils that did reside in the Underworld. Rias and myself both come from such families."

A cat-head was tilted. "Did reside?"

"Unfortunately, that number was reduced to about 34 after the Great War." Sona informed begrudgingly. "However, the number is actually higher than that, but mixed heritage makes some of the survivors of the war unable to be considered part of the 72 Pillars. Only clans that have kept their heritage pure are still considered to be a part of the original 72 clans." She added the last sentence in complete distaste.

Akira narrowed his eyes. If that war was enough to wipe out so many clans why did mixing heritages matter? The only thing they should have been concerned about was making sure they didn't get wiped out. He could practically smell the prejudice surrounding the whole situation if such thing had a scent.

"Hey, Akira," Feeling a shift in his legs, he looked down to see Morgana staring. "You okay?"

"Yes, are you alright?" Sona was arching an eyebrow at him. "It seemed that my last statement struck a nerve somewhere."

"It's nothing." Akira shook his head.

"Anyways, the 72 Pillars are special only because of their standing, but also because of their clan related abilities." Sona pointed out. "For example, the Bael clan had the Power of Destruction which releases explosive amounts of demonic energy to annihilate objects or enemies." She adjusted her glasses. "But let us move onto another topic. I'm sure Rias failed to mention anything about Stray Devils."

"Not a word." Akira stated.

"Of course she didn't." The violet eyes president huffed. "A Stray Devil is a Devil that has either run away or killed his or her master. Without their master to keep their powers in check their power will eventually grow beyond their control and become a threat."

"And if they become a threat?" Morgana slowly asked although he had a pretty good idea of what the answer would be.

"They are to be killed on the spot."

Bingo. "What if their master is abusive or they want to leave their master's service?" Morgana continued to question.

"There is nothing they can do unless their master allows it."

Akira looked down to see the look of disgust on the cat's face. "Maybe we should move to a different topic."

"Very well." Sona nodded. "While Angels and Fallen Angels are quite dangerous enemies, so are the people known as exorcists. They are trained by the Church and are equipped with light based weaponry to destroy us. But what makes the exorcist so dangerous is that if one of them manages to exorcise a Devil, the Devil's whole existence is erased. Not even the soul is left." She paused to catch her breath. "That is why we Devils are very careful around them. However, when it comes down to it, light spears of the Angels and Fallen Angels are much stronger and effective."

"There's more to it, isn't there?" Akira asked.

"And you are correct." Sona answered. "As with Devils, there are Stray Exorcists as well. They are exorcists that either broke a doctrine of the Church… or simply went insane and became indiscriminate killers who don't care who… or what they kill."

"Got it." Akira nodded. "Anything else?"

Sona tapped her chin in thought. "Hmm… Well there are still the topics of Sacred Gears and Magicians."

Magicians? Now that was a word that caught Akira and Morgana's attention. "Gremory-san did tell us a bit about Sacred Gears."

"Is that right?" Sona questioned with flat stare. "She only told you basic information, didn't' she?"

"Most likely."

Sona slapped her face with her palm at Akira's answer. "I should have known." She massaged her temples seemingly in annoyance. "She's as irresponsible as ever."

This seemed to make Akira chuckle a bit. "The way you talk to her makes me think the two of you are best friends."

"A friend." Sona corrected Akira.

"Still counts." The teen replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Right." Sona coughed into her hand. "Before I move onto the subject, could I ask you for a favor? Could you show us this Persona that Rias has mentioned?"

 **A bit long chapter for my tastes. I did intend for the Velvet Room scene and the Student Council scene to be in the same chapter. But they both turned out to be longer than expected so I had to cut the latter short. Finally beat Persona 5. Happy that I got legitimate compliments and complaints in my reviews that didn't whine about the power levels without good reason.**

 **Also, I didn't realize that this story has been out for over a month. Wow time really flies when busy.**

 **No flames please.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.**

Akira sat still, his face straight as usual as he thought about his next choice of words carefully.

But Morgana managed to beat him to the punch as the cat had an answer already at the ready. "Yeah, sure we can. Just give me a second to help this guy to remember the basics of the basics." Leaping up to his shoulder, Morgana then jumped into the air as well. "Witness my Persona, Zorro!"

Akira was about to say something but then remembered. He was trying to pretend to make it seem like his power of a Persona were just new to him. So, since it was agreed that Morgana would do most of the talking when it came down to the subject, he had to act as if the entire ordeal was completely a subject he had no knowledge in. Something that would be a giant pain to remember.

With a spin and somehow managing to flourish in the air, a large silhouette began to take the form of something rather big. Not even a second passed as suddenly it erupted into reality with such a large body standing proudly in the center of the room. Akira nearly had to lean back due to how much space the Persona was taking up.

Apparently at the same time, Morgana had turned into his humanoid form as he landed on his two feet and stood proudly right in front of his audience. Silence followed and it was not really predicted, although there were exclamations of surprise which both Phantom Thieves saw coming.

"What the hell is that?!" Saji managed to eloquently put all of their thoughts into one simple question, a bit more improper but still similar.

"Zorro." Akira said easily and slowly.

"Zorro…" Sona parroted the black-haired Persona user with equal speed as her bespectacled eyes looked at Akira's own pupils. "You are talking about the secret identity of the fictional character Don Diego de la Vega I assume? The masked outlaw who defended commoners and indigenous people against tyrannical officials and other villains?" She looked down, not even wanting to bother thinking about the sudden change in Morgana's appearance unless she wanted to get off topic and forget the purpose of why they were even here in the first place. "I can see the figure wearing his signature mask and hat… but I never expected him to look like this."

Morgana scratched the back of his head, seeming a bit sheepish that he may have just ruined the image of such an amazing figure for someone who may have been a fan. "Err… that may be my bad." He slowly began, getting a look from the student council president. "You see… I don't really like how my name is feminine. Also don't like being called a cute cat. So… since I want to be viewed more like a man, that is the reason why Zorro's appearance pretty masculine." Its entire, muscular body seemed to shake with the hat as if the Persona was nodding in confirmation.

Sona then noticed a couple of things as she peered down to Morgana once more. "...What are those supposed to be?"

Her eyes fell upon some kind of blade that had the curved end of an axe but the body of a medieval sword. The hilt and handle of the sword were yellow in a color that represented gold. The shape was similar to a four-sided star that would shine in the sky as curved lines connect the points that were adjacent with one another to complete a circle while the handle had a diamond shape at the end.

On the flat sides of the blade however was also something that caught Sona's eye. More diamond designs lined up with one another vertically between half-way and three-quarters up the blade. For the first quarter of the blade, a long, thick, golden line was at the end of one of the shapes and connected itself with the star that was on the handle. Near the tip part, fitting around the arc-curved end, was an even larger diamond with some kind of design/s carved into it.

But next to it was an item that she was unsure of what it was. To her it was… some kind of crucifix that was the size of Morgana's humanoid body. But what made the golden weapon different from a normal cross was that there was a gigantic hole in the middle of such an object which made it larger than it should be. With the two ends that were horizontally connected with the hole, golden chains presented themselves linked to a leather pad. Due to that one part, with a mixture of interest and a puzzled feeling, she concluded that the weapon was supposed to be some kind of slingshot.

It was not only the designs of the weapons however, it was what kind of presence they had.

Morgana looked down and eyed the weapons that she was talking about. His jaw nearly dropped as his pupils fell upon the weapons that had been given to him from Akira when the human exited the Velvet Room a couple of times. The blade's name was Claiomh Solais: the large sword given its birth from the sacrifice made by Mother Harlot. Then there was the slingshot which, despite its shape, was not related to any sort of biblical figure at all. No, Sudarshana was gifted thanks to Kohryu: the Yellow Dragon.

"No way!" The humanoid feline exclaimed in excitement as he touched Sudarshana with a hint of nostalgia before it suddenly disappeared. But that did not seem to form any kind of negativity in the cat as he immediately began to lift Claimoh Solais in both of his hands. Laughing to himself, he then began to remember who he was surrounded by. Looking over to Akira, the boy seemed to have an amused look on his face. When Morgana turned his head to Sona, the female had a look that was blank but partially demanded an explanation.

"Sorry…" The cat trailed off, trying to quickly come up with an excuse to why he was acting so excited. "It's just that… I would usually use a normal scimitar and slingshot. But since these are here, they're technically replacements for it."

That… was not a very good explanation in the slightest at all. Either Sona knew that Morgana was lying but did not pry, or she was that convinced over his words. Most likely the former since she was the student council president after all. Looking over to Akira, she stared. "What about you, Akira-san? May I get to see your Persona?"

Akira looked over at Morgana and thought about it. But showing off Arsene was probably going to be a giant risk with him exposing a few things. He would appear in his Phantom Thief clothing, which was not the problem. Since Morgana immediately was equipped with his own weapons fueled by the power of a specific Persona, that would mean that Akira himself would have his Tyrant Pistol and Paradise Lost.

It wouldn't have been a problem before, but something was shown in Sona's eyes and everyone else in the room with a shiver of their bodies that they sensed powerful presences. Since there were the Four Great Maou, the feeling of Lucifer would place him under complete suspicion. Not only that, Satanael's presence… he just didn't want to think about it. Not to mention that Arsene's black wings could have him be depicted as him summoning a Fallen Angel.

"Would it be okay if I said no?" Akira asked.

If Sona was disappointed or suspicious, she didn't show it. Now that Akira thought about it, the girl actually kept her own emotions in check pretty well since it was probably a mandatory thing in the school position she was in. "I understand if you prefer not to." She answered before placing a hand to her chin. "Now where was I again?"

"Magicians and Sacred Gears."

"Ah, yes." Sona coughed, nodding in thanks to Akira's reminder. "A persona that possesses a Sacred Gear is usually not even aware that he or she even has one. It lies dormant inside of them until it is awakened."

Morgana had a thoughtful look on his face before turning back into a cat and having Zorro disappear at the same time. "Then what awakens them?" He asked as he leapt onto Akira's leg and hopped onto the boy's shoulder.

"That depends on the situation and conditions really. Some people awaken it during times of great distress, while others can learn how to do it." Sona replied, her face slightly scrunched up to come up with sentences that were simple. "There are many different varieties of Sacred Gears and each one has their own strengths so that might have a role in how and when it activates."

"Well, that's inconvenient."

"Among the various tyeps of Sacred Gears, the Longinus type are the rarest ones." Sona stated, narrowing her eyes slightly at Akira's comment. "There are thirteen of the Longinus type in total, and they each possess enough power to kill a God."

Kill a God… Akira remembered blowing a giant hole right in the middle of Yaldabaoth's face. Good times aside, did that mean that he had the power of a Longinus type Sacred Gear? Most likely.

"Finally, Magicians." Sona began. "Magicians are humans that have learned the spells of at least one of the various factions of supernatural beings. This gives them a wide range of abilities, limited only by their own knowledge and skill level. The whole magic system that they currently use was developed by Merlin Ambrosius, a man who once studied demonic power and Devil's magic. Besides that, nothing much else is currently known about them."

This was a really long explanation. Thankfully, Futaba would already get the recording and go over it to grab all of the key parts that mattered… at least when the girl would be in the mood for it. "Nothing else is known?" Akira asked, hoping to get more information on the topic.

"Well… there is a rumor that there was a Magician that predated to be Merlin, which I can't confirm or deny." The black-haired girl tensed slightly. "The same rumor also says that this same Magician may still be alive."

Morgana tensed slightly as well to the information. "And who is this guy?"

"I do not know since it is just a rumor which, as I stated before, I cannot confirm or deny."

Listening for a bit, there was nothing but silence between them. "Am I free to go now?" Akira asked, getting a small nod from Sona. Getting off his chair, Akira felt Morgana hop off his shoulder and make his way to the bag. "Well, thanks for the explanation, Sitri-san. I really appreciate it." Hanging the bag on his shoulder, Morgana's head popped out slightly before hiding again as Akira walked away.

"One last thing." Akira quickly stopped and turned around to see Sona's gaze. "You should know that Dragons exist as well, but I personally don't know much about them other than that they are powerful and not to be trifled with." He kind of did that when he chose Kohryu to be the living sacrifice to the electric chair. "Also, if you ever have any other questions regarding anything, please do not hesitate to ask. That is all."

"Actually, I have a question I'd like to ask, Sitri-san." Morgana's blue eyes could be seen within the darkness of Akira's handbag, such a sentence slightly surprising Sona due to how fast her offer was taken. "What are yours and Gremory-san's clan abilities?"

"Rias is actually part of both the Bael and Gremory clans. She inherited the Power of Destruction from her mother who originally came from Bael, and superior magic control from her father who is Gremory." Sona explained. "The Sitri, my clan, specialized in water magic."

"Hmm… That interesting. Thank you for being so informative, Sitri-san." Akira nodded in gratitude and quickly left the student council room, leaving all its members alone.

Sona sighed as she leaned back in her chair. She was definitely going to need something to help her relax after finishing today's word. Right when Morgana summoned his Persona, she felt that something was off about those weapons. She couldn't quiet place a finger on it, but there was definitely something strange about them. There was also the fact that Akira didn't want to summon his own Persona. But from what Rias had told her, the Persona had black wings and was named Arsene.

Arsene… Wasn't that a character created by French writer Maurice Leblanc? Not only that, there was also Zorro. Did that mean that all Personas are named after fictional characters? No, there had to be more to it.

Akira was certainly an interesting individual, but there was something else that concerned her. She began to build up on that weird feeling everyone Akira's group. If her theory was correct, then that meant everyone from Shujin Academy (or at least the group from Tokyo) had a Persona.

Then, such a thought made her think.

"Everyone," She managed to grab all of their attention. "I need you all to do some research. See if any sort of suspicious activity ever occurred in Tokyo."

Just as everyone spread out to get to work, Sona prepared her own laptop while she sighed deeply. She really wished she had some coffee or tea right about now.

 **TakeABreak**

The late afternoon sun shined down as a cool breeze cruised though the air. The afternoon rush had just ended and everyone was getting back where they belonged. Well… most of them. The end of the afternoon rush also meant the beginning of the evening rush.

"The coffee's finished, get that ready! Next is Table #6's order of strawberry lemonade with a house-special coffee! Someone just asked for a refill by the counter on your right! That kid's parents are asking for some more napkins!"

Currently, Akira was behind the counter of Neko no Mise, preparing all of the different drinks that had been ordered by the customers with Morgana calling out the customers' needs. This place was a hot spot for customers though looking for a quick and quality meal or even just to hang out. However, due to the whole place also having the feature of interacting with cats, the number of customers was considerably high. Not only that, but today was a random day that all the workers had to wear cat ears. For some reason, such an accessory had a magnetic effect on people.

Thankfully though, help soon arrived and his workload was decreased by a good few levels. "Wow, it's a good thing you're so proficient. Guess all that time making tools and spending time with Iwai really paid off." Morgana commented as Akira nodded while the human flexed his fingers. The cat was still in the bag and was set up along a counter right behind Akira and quickly peered over. "Looks like we got more company."

Soon though, the entire Occult Research club walked right through the café's main entrance which meant that either they were going here for a nice meal or they were going to talk to him.

The group made their way over to the counter that Akira was working behind and sat down on the counter chairs, right in front of him. Grabbing a few menus, he gave each of them one. "What are you doing here?" Akira inquired, without a second of hesitation.

"Just checking in." Rias stated with a small smile and a shrug. "So, I heard that you were contacted by Sona." She pulled up the menu and began reading it but still kept an ear open.

Akira nodded and went back to mixing coffee. "I was." He answered.

"And?" Rias asked anxiously.

"He turned her down." Morgana replied, almost answering flatly. "He's already said it, but he doesn't plan on giving up his humanity any time soon; if ever."

Akira glanced at Rias and saw her bite her lip. It was clear as day that she didn't like the second half of Morgana's answer. His eyes then shifted to the side to see Akeno giggling about something, which Akira guessed was about Rias getting rejected before she could even bring up her offer to join her Peerage again. It was one of those things that made Akeno a very off putting person. The other reasons being with the way she talked and acted made Akira feel like she was trying to hide something. Maybe it was just his imagination.

Suddenly, Issei stood up and pointed at Morgana. "The cat is talking… Why is the cat talking?"

"It's better not to ask." Akira stated, placing his hand against the top of Morgana's head. But to his surprise, the feline didn't attempt to pounce.

That was when Issei then looked over to Akira. "You're Kurusu-senpai, right? You're friends with Takamaki-senpai and Nijima-senpai, right?"

Akira wondered why he remembered only half of the girl's names that was in his group. Then again, it was pretty much those two who would attempt to discipline them at times. Mainly Ann since Makoto would only come onto high-school grounds once in a while. "Yes, that would be me."

"Hmm…" Issei hummed, scratching his chin curiously. "There seems to be something off about you…"

Rias, Akeno, and even Kiba snickered while a short girl with white hair and Akira just gave them a flat look. Surely, Issei was not that stupid? Did the brunette really not see the cat-ears on his head? That was probably the worst and most cliché joke Akira had heard all year.

Akira placed a hand on the teen's shoulder. "Meow." He stated with a straight face.

"Uhh… Okay…" Issei slowly trailed off in confusion and quickly sat down to read the menu.

The grey-eyed teen nodded. But then his attention was grabbed by someone. "Excuse me, Akira-senpai," Said teen looked over to see Kiba giving him a smile. "Are those cat ears you are wearing?"

"Yes." Akira admitted shamelessly with a completely neutral face. "Cat ears are cool."

Kiba laughed while the white-haired girl nodded in agreement with him apparently. "I can't say that I agree." The blonde commented.

Akira blinked while staring at Kiba. Now that he thought about it, this was just one of the few times that he had actually seen Kiba in person. The description that Yusuke provided thanks to the girls from the Kendo club gave him was surprisingly accurate. Actually… most of the information the blue-haired teen provided him was pretty spot on, especially when it came to people they admired. He got everything from his slightly above average height, to his handsome looks, to his grey eyes, to the mole under his left eye. Even Yusuke was impressed with the attention to detail there. The girls of the Kendo club knew that they were talking about.

He then noticed the white-haired girl staring at Morgana. "…Cat." She said quietly, keeping her eyes locked on Morgana's.

"Do you want to pet him?" Akira asked. Seeing the female nod, he looked over at his feline companion.

"…Fine, I suppose it's okay." Morgana sighed as Akira carried the bag over the gap between the counter and his workspace. Hearing the zipper become undone, the cat was surprised to feel the perfect amount of strength used in the first stroke. Not only that, the girl was also petting all of the right places.

Akira didn't say anything when he heard Morgana purring.

He then remembered something. "You know, Gremory-san," Akira started off. "Sitri-san told me a lot of stuff that you failed to mention."

Rias laughed nervously. "Y-yeah?"

"I know that you must have had your reasons." Akira stated evenly. "So that is why…." He raised his index finger. "I ask you to be straight with me down the line from now on."

Everyone blinked at the request. Honestly, they expected Akira to at least be a bit peeved. But for him to be rather cooperative despite the secrets was a pleasant surprise. "So does that mean…?" Rias asked anxiously.

Akira's smiled. "Not on your life, Gremory-san."

Rias pouted and puffed out her cheeks. "You're no fun."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the entrance doors open. Looking over, he saw that the rest of the Phantom Thieves had entered and were walking right towards the part of the counter he was manning. He was thankful for their company, but this was also putting more work onto his plate at the same time.

"Yo, how's work been going?" Ryuji asked as walked right behind the Occult Research club and stared right at Akira.

"Not bad." Akira answered, immediately getting his current customers at the counter to look behind them and see that the unknown Phantom Thieves were surrounding them. "It was pretty busy at first, but it eventually began to lighten up with more help." He gestured to the other workers that were dealing with a couple of other customers. "What are you all doing here?"

"Hm, do you not remember Akira-chan?" Haru asked, causing the Trickster to tilt his head and have a thoughtful expression on his face. The heiress of the food company giggled at how cute Akira looked with such a look. "Today we agreed on eating out. But with the sudden change in Akira-chan's schedule, we thought that we would go to where you work and hope that we could catch you on a break."

Peeking out from behind the entire group since she was the shortest, Futaba's eyes drifted around in curiosity until she had her gaze set upon someone who she was familiar with. "Ah! Koneko-chan!" Popping out from the surrounding bodies, the orange-haired girl immediately grabbed a seat a set herself right up next to the white-haired girl. "How've you been?"

"…Fine." Koneko nodded, looking over to Futaba. "And you?"

"Oh, you know, same old same old." Futaba bobbled her head back and forth.

"So this is the Koneko character that you've been telling us about." Yusuke stated, looking down at the two short girls. "It seems that you are both are nearly of the same stature."

Koneko and Futaba seemed to glare right at the blue-haired teenager, the former also seeming to pout by puffing her cheeks out. "Boo," Futaba drawled out in a disapproving tone. "You're a meanie, perverted Inari."

"…Moron." Koneko added.

"You take that comment back!" Yusuke raised his voice slightly as he was not one to really yell. "In no way am I even close to such an absurd and repulsive title!"

"Oh! Looks like you've taken a liking to Morgana-chan as well!" Futaba quickly looked down and saw that Koneko was still petting the cat in a comforting fashion.

Everyone else watching them just sweat dropped at the sudden change in attention. "Anyways," Ann slowly said to get everyone back on track. "I didn't expect you to be here, Gremory-san. Also with your entire club."

The male blonde opened his mouth. "Were you talking about De-" Ann smacked Ryuji right on top of the head. "Right, that reminds me. What did you need to talk to Akira about anyways the other day?" Ryuji asked, rubbing the sore spot while glaring at Ann.

"That's a secret." Akeno sang once again.

Ryuji sighed, bending his head and back forward. "Of course."

"Why don't we start ordering some food?" Makoto asked as she sat down next to Futaba.

"Oh, oh, I want my usual!" Futaba raised one of her hands, the other one poking Morgana's cheek.

"Same for me!" Ryuji exclaimed as he sat down.

"I think that goes for all of us." Yusuke commented, grabbing a stool.

"Yeah." Ann agreed, taking a spot.

"It's especially wonderful when Akira-chan makes it." Haru added.

"I think we all know what we want then." Makoto smiled.

Akira nodded his head, already memorizing the orders. Plus, he was supposed to switch with one of the people in the kitchen soon since it was a massive order and he was good at multitasking. "What about you guys?" He asked, looking over towards the Occult Research club members.

"…I think I'll try the house special curry… with a medium-sized latte; single shot." Rias began handing over her menu.

"Ara ara, it's as if we had the same idea, Buchou." Akeno commented, implying that her order was the same as Rias'.

"I'll try the butter chicken with a Summer Breeze drink please." Kiba pointed out the items on the menu as Akira nodded and wrote it down.

"Koneko-chan, you should try what I'm having. It'll taste super yummy." Futaba commented to the white-haired girl.

"…Okay." The small girl nodded.

As for Issei. "Hmm… so much to choose from…" The brunette muttered to himself before finding something that look appealing. "I'll have the Voodoo Vindaloo!"

Everyone at the counter, including the workers that were within earshot, all slowly turned their heads towards Issei with surprised expressions on their face. The boy meanwhile was confused with all of the looks he was getting. "Huh? Is there something wrong with what I'm ordering?"

"Issei-kun…" Rias took it slowly. "I think the name may imply-"

"Thank you for your orders. Please wait for your food." Akira nodded his head and headed straight into the kitchen.

For a solid few minutes, the Occult Research club (minus Koneko due to being distracted by Morgana) and the Phantom Thieves (minus Futaba due to being distracted by Morgna) both tried to find a way to break it down for Issei what their thoughts were on such a name of the dish he ordered. But the boy seemed so eager to try it out they didn't have the heart to tell him.

Soon, everyone got their specific ordered dishes as Akira swiftly brought them each a plate that was filled with steaming food. "Right, time to dig in!" Issei exclaimed, his curry plate looking rather normal, being portioned with a curry sauce on top of rice and some chicken. There was some kind of green substance on the side of the plate, but it tasted as equally delicious as he began scarfing down the meal.

No one else touched their food and the workers stopped what they were doing as the brunette eagerly chewed his food. But then the movement of his jaw began to slow down. He was only a quarter way done with his food and his happy look grew into one of confusion. A full blown disturbed expression immediately morphed onto his features as he looked up towards Akira. "I feel like I'm having a baby!"

"The trick is to eat it before the rice dissolves." The Trickster replied, gesturing down to the food.

 **So a few things to get out of the way.**

 **First, this chapter was supposed to come out earlier but there was work.**

 **Second, the chapter was supposed to come earlier but I made a Persona/RWBY crossover so check that out if you'd like.**

 **Third, the chapter was supposed to come earlier but then… I had no idea what Morgana's weapons were supposed to be. So, despite the power of the internet, there are no official images of the ultimate weapons, so it took some time to not only create the weapons, blaze right through new game plus, but also try to place Morgana in that perfect position so that I can write a proper description of the weapons.**

 **It even took nearly an hour to try and find out what the blade he was using was called but I couldn't find any matches.**

 **Fourth… Hopefully that's all the exposition out of the way… for the moment.**

 **No flames please.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.**

Futaba Sakura yawned as she found herself bent forward and her face right against a pillow.

Pushing herself up, she looked down to see that she was still sitting in the chair that belonged to her private room in the apartment all of the female Phantom Thieves shared. Her room honestly wasn't any special, just having a few textbooks and gizmos here and there scattered on the floor and shelves. The curtains were open just a touch, sunlight breaking through a crack and shining on the floor.

Looking back up, she saw that her screen had several tabs still open. With the recording of the conversation that Sone had with Akira, the orange-haired girl was able to listen to the voices over and over again to see if there were any kinds of key words that could be used to search up on the internet.

So far as she could tell, they should just take Sona's word for pretty much everything. It was not that they didn't trust her, the student council president was genuine when she informed them of everything they probably needed to know and could even ask a few questions if needed.

But not everything told by Sona could be researched on the internet. Heck, judging by what the girl had said there was no way that everything they could find be even true as well. If the Phantom Thieves did need to end up having knowledge of Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels, they would maybe have to ask Sona for that kind of information.

But so far as what Futaba could find on the internet, there was the subject about the Lesser Key of Solomon which must have been the 72 Pillars that Sona had been talking about. That was pretty much it, nothing else. At least it was something to build on.

Slowly dragging herself out of her room, Futaba opened the door and immediately was hit with several scented smells. Letting her nose soon lead her around the apartment, she ended up in the kitchen where Ann, Makoto, and Haru were all getting some food ready with their clothes on and ready for the day. "Mmm… What's cooking?" Futaba asked, yawning while setting herself down on the couch.

"Well, since the guys are out for their morning exercises again, we decided to make something that will give them more energy to get through the day." Ann stated, already getting the dishes and cutlery ready as she placed all of the out and ready for the food.

"It's understandable for all of them though." Makoto added as she was stirring a pot while looking over towards the counter to see how she should portion the food. Circling her wrist with an open palm, she smelled the contents of the pot and nodded in satisfaction. "Akira recently obtained his Persona and is getting back into shape and form. Ryuji had always been a part of the track team, but also joined in the fighting to get his body used to such. Yusuke on the other hand is already a part of the Kendo club so exercise is just all he needs... Although they needed to drag him along for that last part."

"Do you think we also should be working on our own bodies?" Haru questioned, gently taking the pot out of Makoto's grasp and pouring out the oatmeal into the bowls evenly. "I mean, we ourselves may get the opportunity to awaken out Personas again." Placing the pot down on the stove, Haru walked over to the pitcher that was full of some kind of smoothie as she began to pour a glass for the people currently around her. "Oh, that reminds me!" She walked over to Futaba and handed her a cup. "Did you find anything last night, Futaba-chan?"

The glasses-wearing girl shook her head, rubbing some sleep out of her eyes. "Not really. The best I could do was the 72 Pillars. Assuming that all of it is true, then we may get a good idea of what all the clans are like. But there's a good chance that it doesn't include their powers."

"Thanks anyways though." Makoto nodded her head, also placing the bowl full of Futaba's breakfast in front of the orange-haired girl. "You're the only one who actually put any effort into that while we all had to do our own thing."

"Yeah…" Ann had a guilty look on her face as her head was tilted down. "Sorry about that…"

"Ah, no biggie." Futaba waved her spoon dismissively as she was ready to eat. "I already know pretty much a lot of things about the subject we're currently going over at school. So I have a lot of free time." Chuckling to herself in amusement, she took a big bite of the oatmeal as Haru attempted to stop her.

"Wait, it's still-!" The heiress was too late though.

"Ahhh! It's burns!"

"…Hot…" Haru finished weakly, mentally apologizing to Futaba as the hacker tried to cool the burn by chugging her smoothie.

 **TakeABreak**

"Looks like both of your bodies are starting to get used to fighting again already."

Morgana gave this comment as he rode on top of a jogging Akira. It was a certainly lovely Sunday morning as their run had started at 6:15, meaning that the boys would have to jog for about forty-five minutes in their work-out clothing before beginning to have small sparring matches mainly against Yusuke since the blue-haired boy was a bit used to fighting thanks to Kendo.

The artist kept making small comments how it was odd for boys not being allowed to be in the art club. Akira, Ryuji, and Morgana could already think up of a few reasons why males weren't given permission to join. Poor Yusuke was just part of the indirect causalities. Which led him to kendo next mainly because the brush slightly reminded him of the sword, which was why he partially like using a katana.

"A great amount of progress has been made for the two of you… or mainly one of you." Yusuke slightly lagged behind the glasses-wearing boy as he was slightly running out of breath already. But such a tired feeling did not stop him from making a small jab. It was barely noticed, but still picked up anyways.

"You better not be talking about me." Ryuji replied, being at the front of the group far enough to be considered fast but close enough to hear the words spouted by his companions. "What about Morgana? He's the only one who hasn't even trained with us All he's been doing is ride Akira and watch us up to this point."

"I can't just change into my other form just like that here." Morgana said back to the male blonde of the group. His face was partially scrunched up into a frown. "How would you react if you saw a cat suddenly change into something with a big head and a small body?"

"You acknowledge that?" Akira asked.

Morgana dug his claws into Akira's clothing, partially prickling the boy. "That's not the point I'm trying to make!"

"Ah, who cares about that? We get it, it'll be awkward." Ryuji concluded on his own, now winded like everyone else as they made it back to the apartment building that they lived in. "Phew, man it feels so good yet exhausting after a run." The blonde began sweating as everyone else but Morgana were as well. "At least we just need to go up the stair-"

Going silent, Ryuji slowly realized what he said before cutting himself off. All of them slightly looked up, seeing the flight of stairs that they constantly had to take everyday. It used to be so menial all the time. But today, at that moment, they looked extremely intimidating.

"You jinxed it, Ryuji." Akira deadpanned as the three of them began to drag themselves up the steps.

"How is it my fault?!" The blonde questioned as they began to climb. To take their minds off of the exhausting moment, Ryuji suddenly remembered. "Oh right! Let's all hang-out today! You know, relax and all?"

"Isn't there already the complications of Fallen Angels and Devils around us? We should at least maybe look around town and see if there is anything suspicious at all." Yusuke threw in his own thoughts, already nearly a flight of stairs behind. "Besides, I have my own schedule of making us some money for our daily needs." He soon tripped on a step and fell down.

"Finally! Made it!" Ryuji panted on his knees as Yusuke was flat on the ground. Akira however was on his feet but had his legs bent. All of them breathed in large amounts of oxygen as they desperately needed it. Reaching over to the doorknob, Ryuji jiggled it around a bit but he couldn't get it open. Remembering, he reached into his pocket for his key but then froze.

"…Is there any chance that one of us at least has a lock pick on their person?"

 **TakeABreak**

"Thank you. Come again." The store clerk bowed with polite intentions as Futaba and Koneko both gathered bagged goods at the end of the counter where that the register rested on. Departing from the line of customers, Koenko at least nodded her head and proceeded to leave the supermarket area right behind Futaba while carrying everything.

"Are you sure you can carry all those snacks, Koneko-chan? You at least let me hold onto a bag." Futaba offered, slowing her steps down so that she could go at the steady pace that the white-haired girl was going. "I mean, we are sharing them while studying after all overnight."

The smaller girl nearly had her view covered as there was a plastic bag for each of her arms while a large paper bag nearly grew over her eyes. The two hanging off of her held all of the chips. The next was filled with candy. There was then the paper bag, packed with several soda brands the both of them liked. "…I'm fine." Koneko nodded as she continued to talk without any difficulty.

"Okay, if you say so." The glasses-wearing girl shrugged her shoulders while walking backwards to watch Koneko carry the amount despite her short size. The both of them were silent for a small while, letting their footsteps fill the space between them. It then began to remind Futaba of something.

"Doesn't this seem familiar?" She asked, getting a small look from Koneko. Or at least it seemed like the white-haired girl was trying to make a face. It was hard to tell since most of it was covered by the bag. "I was just walking down the street on my own when I first saw you carrying so many bags."

"…Right." Koneko slowly said.

The two of them suddenly yet sluggishly began to remember what had happened then. Futaba had stared at the girl as Koneko made her way along the sidewalk. But then the smaller girl ended up tripping on a small pebble and fell forward right on top of Futaba. Seeing all of the snacks scattered everywhere, the two of them quickly cleaned up and the orange-haired girl at least offered to carry the bag that covered the white-haired girl's vision until they got to Koneko's house.

Soon enough, in a sudden surprising twist, Futaba managed to get one friend within the span of a walk.

Still walking backwards, Futaba was unable to see what was behind her. Koneko couldn't really see either so it was a bit of a surprise as the Phantom Thief accidentally bumped into a man wearing a light-purple trench coat and a similarly colored fedora.

"Oh, oops, sorry." Futaba quickly apologized as she stepped out of the way for the man to pass her.

The adult didn't respond, instead fully turning his body to stare at the young woman who had bumped into him. He then looked over to Koenko next. Futaba didn't notice Koneko's sudden wary look at the orange-haired girl cocked an eyebrow after a few seconds of silence. "Uhh… Hello?" Futaba drawled out. "Anyone in there?" She raised her hand to wave it in front of the man's eyes.

It was at that moment Koneko dropped all of her things as she suddenly tackled Futaba out of the way as a spear suddenly was suddenly in the air. If the white-haired girl didn't move, the man would have succeeded in stabbing Futaba through the stomach.

"So… it seems that you are a Devil." The man muttered loud enough for the two females to hear. He watched in slight interest at Koneko and Futaba slowly began getting back up to their feet. "Or at least you with the white hair. Your companion is a human though, if I believe correctly."

"Koneko-chan… Wha-"

"Why is a Fallen Angel attacking us?" Koneko narrowed her eyes as she slowly began taking a stance to prepare for conflict. Her hands were also raise while seeming to prepare something.

"I believe the answer should be obvious." The man stated, already forming a spear out of light and presenting a small flourish before taking a stance of his own. "You are a Devil while you already know what I am. You are also without a peerage nearby. I have yet to also see you ready a summoning circle. Which makes me wonder if you are a Stray or not." He then looked over towards Futaba. "Though I'm not sure if you want to use it with that human around if you could."

Koneko slightly froze as she tilted her over to eye the human that was watching them with a bit of a surprised look on her face.

To be honest, Futaba was a bit surprised that Koneko was a Devil. When it became obvious that the Occult Research club was entirely compiled of Devils, Akira let all the Phantom Thieves know. But so far as the all could tell, including Futaba, Koneko was hardly seen hanging around the club. The only moment that the white-haired girl was seen with Rias and the others just that one time in the café Akira worked at. It was so obvious but only for a moment they all didn't take notice of.

"…Futaba, run." Koneko said quietly at first, tensing her muscles to get a fight ready. Her plan was to get the Phantom Thief to get away before creating a summoning circle to have Rias come through and put the situation to a stop as quickly as possible.

"As if I'd let her. You seem to be very close to the human. Close enough that you don't want her to get hurt. I may have standards, but they don't apply to the current situation at the moment." The stranger said as black wings suddenly sprouted form his back. "Perhaps I should also introduce myself. My name is Dohnaseek, and it was fate that led us to this moment!"

"Run!" Ignoring the snacks, Koneko grabbed Futaba's hand and began to drag the girl along.

Futaba could keep up with the small girl as the two of them soon began dashing around the area hoping to lose Dohnaseek. But the partially proved easier said than done. Due to her rank as a Rook, Koneko was not the fastest person. Especially against someone who could follow them easily due to their ability of flying.

Miraculously, there weren't any spectators or witnesses that saw what was happening as the two females eventually made it near the edge of two they lived in where no one really lived. Koneko then had to push Futaba out of the way as the white-haired girl took a spear to the leg.

"Koneko-chan!" Futaba cried out as the smaller girl fell over and gritted her teeth to prevent a cry from coming out.

Koneko didn't want to have Futaba worry over her and put the girl into more danger. "Just go." She grinded out, slowly getting back up despite the object on light in her leg. "Get out of here. I'll be fine."

"But you're bleeding and you have a hole in your leg!" Futaba exclaimed, her mind in enough panic to not think about calling the others. Even if she did, only Akira and Morgana could help. They would also have to quickly get across the two and she was in doubt they would arrive fast enough.

"It'll be fine." Koneko said quietly, really not wanting to put the girl in any more danger. Still standing, there was strength that kept her going and ready for a proper fight. She was a Rook and her still standing strong proved it.

Dohnaseek chuckled at how Futaba was so concerned over the white-haired Devil. "I somehow doubt that." He commented as he created another spear and leveled it at Futaba. Throwing it, he was satisfied when Koneko grabbed it but then hissed in extreme agony before dropping it. "You know, human, it's your fault if you think about it."

Throwing a couple of weapons made of light at the same time, one struck Koneko's other leg while the other was caught and dropped by the girl again. "If only you would stop staying around and began running. That way this Devil here wouldn't have to suffer."

Futaba's eyes narrowed though, running forward past Koneko who almost stopped her. But with the speed that the Phantom Thief was going, the white-haired Devil couldn't catch her in time. Futaba threw a punch to Dohnaseek's stomach, but the Fallen Angle hardly reacted.

"Was that supposed to hur-"

He didn't finish as Futaba kicked him right where the sun doesn't shine.

"Yes, it probably is my fault that Koneko-chan is hurt…" Futaba nodded her head, saying the words slowly. "But I want to hear it directly from her mouth to be sure." Turning her head over, she stared.

As Dohnaseek growled while clutching his jewels in pain, Koneko kept her gaze staring at the other girl. Slowly realizing that she needed to answer, she opened her mouth to speak. "…No… it's not your fault."

Futaba nodded, a small glare forming on her features as she stood strongly in front of Koneko. "For almost my entire life I've been misled by other people. But not any more! I already knew that those words of yours were lies already. But hearing the truth from Koneko-chan was what I truly needed!" She then pointed towards Dohnaseek. "It's really your fault, you bastard! You're really the one she's suffering so much! I know there isn't much I can do right now… But I can promise this! I'll make you pay for what you've done to her!"

Suddenly, small particles followed by a shining light began to form around Futaba's body. As her look was filled with determination, only Koneko and Dohnaseek stared at what was happening.

Some kind of ghost began to grow and form from Futaba's body. Soon enough, within seconds, it took a full form. It was another Futaba, but different. This new Futaba had yellow eyes and an almost tranquil look. Her clothing was different as well, dressed up like an Egyptian princess. Bandages were wrapped around her chest as so much skin was showing, with only white silk covering half of her leg.

Slowly ascending, the other Futaba only floated a few meters above the real girl before the Egyptian figure began to burst into more light. Still watching, Dohnaseek was the first to snap out of his stupor. He didn't know what was happening, but he had a gut feeling that it was going to be dangerous to him. Forming a new spear of light, he threw it as hard as he could so that it would be fast enough to hit Futaba.

It was unsuccessful as a metal tentacle slapped the weapon off to the side.

Everyone immediately looked up to see where the part had com from. Apparently, it had sprouted from what looked like a… UFO. It baffled Koneko and Dohnaseek as Futaba's jaw partially dropped at seeing her Persona, Necronomicon, again. The flying saucer had five domes on its bottom, a line pattern connecting them so it looked like it was shaping a pentagram. Circuit designs were scattered all over the strange object, blue being on the bottom half while green took over the upper portion. On top, there was, in some opinions, an out of place metallic gargoyle statue crouching down.

As everyone was still stunned, more metal tentacles began to creep out. Slithering around Futaba, the girl watched as such limbs wrapped around her wrists, legs, and stomach as it slowly and gently pulled her into the UFO. As her face entered the mysterious flying saucer, her world went black.

" _ **Reminder... I Am Thou, Thou Art I…"**_

" _ **Opening Access Channels to Forbidden Knowledge."**_

Slowly opening her eyes, Futaba wondered when she actually closed them. But that thought was thrown out the proverbial window. Looking around her, she let out several gasps of excitement she saw everything. All of the text that she would see on a computer. Her own private world from the outside. She remembered what it was like with Persona; what she could do with Necronomicon.

" _ **Reality and Fantasy... No Longer Shall Such Mysteries and Illusions Deceive You Any Longer."**_

Futaba look down at herself, to see that she was floating inside the darkness like she usually would. She was also in her attire whenever she and the others would enter the Metaverse; aa skin-tight black bodysuit with fluorescent neon green glowing strips and matching black boots with neon green soles.

Grinning to herself, she began swiping and tapping on a multitude of icons as she continued to comfortably float in the green-lit darkness.

Outside, Koneko was in shock but also in a bit of awe. But her reaction was to just render herself speechless for a few seconds. "…Futaba?" She asked, wondering if she should have spoken louder due to her friend being dragged into the flying saucer.

[ _I'm okay!_ ] Futaba's voice could suddenly be heard inside of Koneko's head as the girl quickly darted her eyes back and forth, unsure of where it came from.

"Would you look at that…" Dohnaseek said slowly in fascination, taking a step back to get a better look at the Persona. He may have not been the first Fallen Angel, but he was perhaps the first of his kind. The first of his kind to, if this were not a fake, see a real UFO.

[ _Hold on a second and let me fix you up.]_ Feeling a warm sensation, Koneko looked down to her body. Her frame was embraced by a white light, but it was nothing holy. She felt a little tickled as the brightness soon began to dim a bit. Soon though, there was not even a scratch on her body. Burns were no longer scorched and charred her hands.

"…What is-"

[ _Sorry, Koneko-chan, no time to explain._ ] Futaba stated, cutting off Koneko mid-sentence. Still floating in mid-air, the Phantom Thief gestured towards Dohnaseek with her head. [ _Let's first kick this guy's ass!_ ]

The small Devil's mouth was left hanging open for a second. Indeed, a few questions were running thorough her mind. But… she supposed she could wait a bit longer. Futaba didn't really question what was going on at the moment, why should she?

With a nod of her head, Koneko rushed forward towards Dohnaseek.

"Hm?!" Dohnaseek quickly stepped to the side, just managing to dodge Koneko's charging punch. "So you still wish to fight…" Despite having to create spears of light over and over again, it was admittingly perhaps the most effective way of dealing with a Devil. Making his weapon, he swung his arm.

[ _Oh no you don't!_ ] Futaba exclaimed as she watched everything happening in Necronomicon. [ _Here comes a buff, Koneko-chan!_ ] Quickly with her fingers, she began tapping several symbols as if she were on a keyboard. A cat icon soon formed right in front of her face as she grinned at the sight while slamming a fist onto it. [ _Speed up!_ ]

Koneko's body suddenly felt lighter as a green light started at her feet but quickly spread up to the top of her head. It was as if several weights had been lifted from her being. With her foot stomping on the ground when her fist missed, Koneko pivoted on the concrete and managed to strike Dohnaseek's stomach before he could scratch her.

Knocked away, the Fallen Angel was quick to regain his footing but then had to clutch his stomch. "You're fast… have you been holding back your speed this entire time?" Dohnaseek asked, standing up straight. "No, otherwise you would have already run. Could it be…?" His eyes darted slightly over to Necronomicon that was hovering closely to and above Koneko.

But due to that moment of distraction, the lightness of Koneko's body was still in effect and provided her with the perfect opportunity to grab Dohnaseek by the head and slam his face to the ground. But she didn't end there. Running forward along the street and the curb, the girl kept grinding the man along the pavement before tossing him against a lamp post.

"Guh!" Dohnaseek grunted, already felt like he was in for a losing battle. But he still held his ground when he saw the Devil running towards him. Clenching a fist while popping a couple of bones in his fingers, he made a stabbing motion and had a spear of light pierce Koneko right in her stomach.

With a large swipe, the Fallen Angle sent the Devil soaring across the air and rolling against the stone area they were in. Eventually, after several bumps to the head, Koneko regained her footing. With finger digging into the pavement to put her to a stop, she could feel the tingling sensation from before when Futaba said she would fix her up.

[ _Saying this late, but don't run in so recklessly!_ ] Futaba stated in a slightly worrying tone. With several tapping motions, she brought up a screen that showed Dohnaseek's body along with several boxes of texts and colors. [ _He's hurt, but don't let that get to you!_ ]

"…Thanks." Koneko nodded, too into the moment and forgetting about Futaba's Persona.

Running forward once again, her body suddenly began to gain weight. As this happened, Dohnaseek began throwing a blizzard of light spears towards the Devil. [ _Shoot, your speed went down, Koneko-chan! Hold on, get ready to take a few hits!_ ]

Still running through, her arms, body, and legs all felt like a boost of strength had been placed into her when a purple light washed all over her. Watching the spears continuing to soar towards her, Koneko proceeded to make her way to Dohnaseek while covering her face with her arms.

To her and Dohnaseek's surprise, the light spears didn't pierce any flesh at all. The worst that the weapons of light did were burn the Devil. But even so, the spears just bounced off Koneko's skin. Leaping through the bombardment, Koneko was right in front of the Fallen Angel's face before landing a fist against his cheek.

Despite the hit, Dohnaseek stood his ground and tired to stab Koneko with a new spear of light. But the small girl grabbed the light, hissing as it burned her skin. But she could still keep a hold of it. With the strength of her Rook piece, she managed to beat Dohnaseek in the test of strength as she threw him a fair distance away but still stood on the spot as she felt herself get healed by Futaba again.

Panting, Dohnaseek stared at the small Devil who he could hurt over and over again but never progress in any way to defeat her. He had taken in way too much pain during the combat. Perhaps the fight would have been a bit more fair if it was just the white-haired girl alone. But with that human inside the UFO providing support, he should have known that it would have ended up as his loss from the beginning. But he was stubborn since he loved to fight.

Not bothering to fully get up, he chose to sit on his bottom and watch as the Devil approached him. "Are you going to kill me now? It would be the wisest and perhaps most sane decision." Dohnaseek said, looking straight at Koneko's eyes. "I am a Fallen after all… and you are a Devil. It's only natural."

Staring, Koneko raised her fist.

"Koneko-chan, wait!" Futaba suddenly appeared right behind the white-haired girl as Necronomicon disappeared while grabbing the girl's fist. A pair of big black goggles with orange lenses was right on her face, covering her eyes. "You don't have to kill him!"

The white-haired Devil slowly turned over towards Futaba and stared for several seconds. It was unknown what was going thoruhg Koneko's mind, but she kept on staring at Futaba. Her head then craned over to Dohnaseek who still sat without an attempt to attack or even move. She then turned back to Futaba. "…He tried to kill you."

"And you beat him into a pulp. Don't you think that's enough?" Futaba asked, clenching onto Koneko's fist even tighter. There was a silence between the two (three) of them. Eventually though, the strength in the fist began to loosen. Soon enough, Futaba slipped her fingers into Koneko's hand due to how loose the fist had become.

"Thank you, Koneko-chan." Futaba whispered before looking to Dohnaseek. "And you! Why did you suddenly try to attack me and Koneko-chan out of the blue?"

"That should be a question for your friend and not me, among many other things." Dohnaseek grunted, slowly getting back up to his feet but didn't bother retreating. Instead, he settled for staring at Futaba once more but this time with curiosity. "But I wonder, why do you choose to spare me?"

"Uhh… because I felt like it?" Futaba questioned, making it sound more like a statement. "I mean, I think I've already proved that I'm better so if we cross again we won't have to have such a dispute. Plus, this just means you owe me big time." Futaba made sure that she was between Koneko and the Fallen Angel.

Dohnaseek blinked at the human's reasoning. He then soon began to burst out laughing. "You are perhaps one of the strangest people I have ever met!" His chortling was a fast phase though as he regained control. "Either way, I thank you for sparing my life… much to my humiliation to have to say that to a human." Futaba stuck her tongue out at him. "But, if I may ask, what was that It UFO? You seemed… to be familiar with it."

Futaba blinked and soon immediately remembered that she was supposed to try and play it safe. Slightly panicking, she thought up of an answer. "U-umm… It… was as if it were a part of me… That I already knew how to use Necronomicon…?"

Luckily, she managed to fix her tone so that it sounded more like a statement rather than a question. Dohnaseek sighed. "I see… I seem to be getting unluckier by the minute ever since I've run into you two." He turned around, spreading his black fallen wings as he prepared to take off into the night. But before he did, he turned around. "Wait a second… did you say Necronomicon? As in that flying saucer's name is Necronomicon?"

Futaba kept her mouth shut, realizing that she had made a mistake and refused to say a word.

Turning back to face Futaba, Dohnaseek took a step forward. Koneko responded by standing in front of Futaba but the Fallen Angel didn't move any closer. "…No, the Necronomicon is supposed to be a grimoire… but it's also supposed to be a complete work of fiction. Yet there are many Fallen Angels, Angels, and even Devils that believe that it truly exists and is no fantasy!"

"Uhh… you okay?" Futaba asked slowly. "Koneko-chan didn't hit you too hard on the head, right?"

The Fallen Angel continued to stare at Futaba in response, something that really began to unsettle the girl. "Girl, what is your name?"

The orange-haired girl gave the man a weird look. "…Futaba Sakura…" She said awkwardly.

Taking the fedora off of his head, Dohnaseek bowed. "My deepest apologies for attacking you. I shall take my leave now thanks to your generosity. But I pray that we shall meet again, as you are the great owner of the Necronomicon; the holder of forbidden knowledge of the ancient ones."

As Dohnaseek flew away, Futaba slowly turned over towards Koneko as the white-haired Devil stared back at her. Suddenly having her Phantom Thief costume change back into her original clothing, Futaba soon realized that she had just used her Persona with ease right in front of Koneko. She may have ended up ruining the large plan to lay low until they were comfortable enough to reveal their true identities.

"…I can explain." Koneko said curtly.

…Or maybe Futaba had lucked out and got Koneko to break first.

 **TakeABreak**

"So… you're a Devil…"

Futaba tired to act surprise but she already knew pretty much everything that Koneko had explained to her.

Sitting inside the Neko no Mise (they both loved the café), the two of them had grabbed a booth and the white-haired Devil spilled the beans that Futaba already knew. But the orange-haired girl at least had to act a bit when such big reveals came her way. After revealing her identity, Koneko went silent. She was either waiting for Futaba to react or thinking of what to say next.

"You know… I've always pictured Devils with horns and those pointy tails…" Futaba commented.

"…That's a common misunderstanding." Koneko answered before going silent once more. "Futaba… are you okay with this? Knowing that I'm a Devil?"

Futaba blinked. "What? Me? Pfft!" She blew air from her teeth and made her lips flap back and forth. "Come on, Koneko-chan! Do you really think that Devil stuff is supposed to be scary? You guys sound pretty normal compared to that fire and brimstone kind of stuff! Besides, you're pretty cool to be with. Why would I not be okay with this? Although I do have to ask, what's with that thing I summoned? I know its name was Necronomicon and how to use it… but how and why?"

"…Ask Kurusu-senpai." Koneko answered, feeling extremely happy that her friend just accept her for who she was. Although… there was still one secret that Koneko was keeping. But… she promised to herself later. Later she would tell Futaba who she really was. The orange-haired girl deserved to at least know her true name and heritage.

"Thank you for waiting."

The two girls turned their heads and saw that a waiter was balancing four plate of curry rice on his arm as he gently placed them onto the table on Futaba's side. "Here's your order, Miss." The server then turned over towards Koneko. "And for the young lady, we have prepared the Catastrophic Curry Challenge for you. Since this is your first time, you will be facing the Volcanic Curry… A curry so that practically erupts with flavor and spice."

Futaba just stared at the massive pot that was being carried over towards Koneko while the other girl drooled. Why did this café have such a thing going on again? Oh, right, Akira was the one to suggest it thanks to the Big Bang Burger Challenge.

With a heavy thud, the pot was set right in front of Koneko. "Well them, it's time to get the thirty-minute Catastrophic Curry Challenge started!" The waiter stated loudly, getting attention from several customers.

"Are you prepared, Koneko-chan?" Futaba asked.

Koneko's reaction was to hold a spoon up as there was a gleam on the silverware and in her eyes. "My body is ready."

 **TakeABreak**

"Twenty-nine minutes and thirty seconds have passed. Better hurry."

Futaba was in a slight panic as she watched Koneko slowly place her spoon down as there was literally one scoop of curry left inside the pot. Acting quickly, the orange-haired girl grabbed the final spoonful and set herself right beside Koneko.

"Err… Miss, you're not allowed to do that. That's against the rules."

But Futaba ignored the words of the waiter watching them. "One more bite, Koneko-chan! One more bite!" She constantly poked her friend's cheek.

But Koneko refused to open up, choosing to keep her lips tight. "Stahp it…" She mumbled.

 **Six-thousand words later... I got a chapter out. Not really that good, but there was Futaba getting her Persona into reality. Makes you wonder who is going to be next.**

 **No flames please.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.**

"I'm sorry, guys!"

Futaba apologized loudly as she shut her eyes. Surrounding her were all of her Phantom Thief comrades and friends over breakfast time in the girl's apartment. A few hours had passed since the incident of Futaba, Koneko, and the Fallen Angel known as Dohnaseek. Since it was a bit of an issue that she awakened her Persona, Futaba let everyone know of the incident that had occurred.

Makoto closed her own eyes but was not angry at all. "It's all right, Futaba-chan." She gently said to the hacker of the group. She could understand why the girl was so apologetic. Everyone could understand. "I'm just happy that you weren't really hurt during that fight with the Fallen Angel."

"Really?" The orange-haired girl looked up and saw everyone having a small smile on their faces. The shortest of them all read it as a good thing and smiled as well. "Thanks for not getting mad at me. I thought I might have risked the reveal of our identities."

"Although, this does make it a small issue." Yusuke commented, grabbing everyone's attention. Looking down in thought, he was silent for a few seconds and looked back up. "This certainly means that there is more than one Fallen Angel here. Although we could have easily drawn that conclusion from this Raynare character, Dohnaseek confirms it."

"Aww, crap." Ryuji commented, leaning back on the couch he was sitting on, taking a swing from his cup of orange juice. "What if there's a freaking army of those black-winged guys? Shouldn't we at least be prepared or something? I know that there's Morgana, Akira, and now even Futaba who has their Personas. But just thinking about what could happen is getting ridiculous."

"Being prepared though…" Ann said slowly, thinking about what the male-blonde had said. She then turned her head over towards Futaba who was nibbling on a slice of toast. "Hey, Futaba-chan, can you tell us how you got your Persona back?"

"Hmm… Dunno." Futaba said in a muffled volume with a mouthful of bread before swallowing. "I just felt like… umm… You know how when everyone but Haru was in my Palace? Remember when I gave my little speech? It was kind of like that. It's like I had to be reminded what I had gone through or even had to live through a huge moment of stress before Necronomicon awakened again."

"…Hah?" Ryuji put his lack of knowledge into a blunt word.

"I think I understand what Futaba-chan is trying to say." Makoto voiced her own words while cutting up an egg with her fork. "Remember that last sentence she said, Ryuji? From what I can tell, it may be in a way similar to our very first awakenings or from a sudden burst of emotion. I can't be certain if this is true or not, but it could be a place to start."

"Perhaps it could be." Haru said slowly, putting her dishes in the sink of the place. "Still… this is very complicated. Does that mean that we all are going to have to go through something similar like before? I'm not sure if there are likely chances."

"Either way, this is an issue we all cannot ignore." Morgana stated, pacing around the table while trying to avoid getting his feet caught in anybody's food. "We also know that the Fallen Angels are occupying the area. But we have no idea where their headquarters are or if they even have any. It would be good to know where they live so that we could attack when things turn bad."

"Should we hold our own investigations?" Akira voiced out, listening to the conversation but also trying to come up with a plan. He was the leader after all. He at least had to be organized when it came down to these kinds of things.

"Maybe, but we can't have you, me, or Futaba do it then since it could raise some more suspicion." Morgana answered, stuffing his face for a couple of seconds before swallowing. "Koneko probably would have told Gremory-san what had happened last night. Which will mean that we'll be watched for certain. We'll have to be on our guards even more than usual."

"So not much then." Ryuji commented. Blinking, he watched as everyone slowly craned their heads towards him. "Oh, come on! Don't look at me like that!" He exclaimed. "Most of use have yet to do anything that warrants anyone to follow to be suspicious of us! The only people who should be watching their backs are Akira, Morgana, and Futaba!"

"But we are in the same group, Ryu-chan." Haru reminded, the blonde. Seeing him give off a curious look, Haru decided to elaborate. "We all have been together since we first arrived here. Don't you think they would find it weird that we are slowly regaining our Personas and those factors as put in?"

The male stared at the heiress before sighing. "Alright, yeah, I guess you're right." He stuffed a piece of bacon into his mouth. "Seriously though," He chewed. "Where do you think we should start looking at this rate if we want to know where the Fallen Angels are?"

"Let's think about that after school." Akira got up to his feet, cleaning his plate quickly before putting it into the sink. As everyone else began to clean up after themselves, he looked over towards Futaba. "Oh right. I should probably warn you, Futaba. You're probably going to be in for a very long day."

Confusion took over the hacker's face at her leader's words. "What do you mean by that?" She asked curiously.

 **TakeABreak**

So, this was what Akira meant.

Sitting in the middle of the Occult Research Club's room after school, Futaba was awkwardly sitting on a couch next to Koneko as the rest of the members were standing up and around her. Such an act reminded her of an interrogation.

"How many times do I have to say it?" Futaba said in a slightly whiny voice, already getting tired from having to repeat herself. "I don't want to join your peerage thing."

Rias let out a loud groan as she dramatically slumped down in her seat at the chair to her offer. Standing next to her with an amused look was Akeno while Kiba couldn't help me smile at the interaction between Futaba and his King. Issei meanwhile had a confused expression on his face.

"Uh, Buchou, why are you constantly pressing Futaba-san about this issue?" The brunette of the group asked curiously. "She says that she doesn't want to join. Can't you just stop it at that? I mean, it doesn't look like she's going to change her answer."

Rias was unable to reply to Issei as she sprung back up as if she were pulled by a set of strings and pointed. "Come onnnnnnn. You'll get awesome Devil powers. You'll be able to use you summon much more effective!"

"Are you going to teach me how?" Futaba asked.

That managed to shut Rias up. "Umm…"

"Boo," The orange-haired girl said in a disapproving tone, pointing a thumb down to add to the effect. "Minus 50 convincing points. You're already in the negatives by a large margin. I have no idea how you're going to win me back."

Considering that Koneko had asked her to come here, Futaba stayed glued in her spot rather than just bolting out of the door due to not wanting to be in the room at all. Considering how she already knew everything Akira knew with everyone else, Rias thankfully skipped to the point the red-head wanted to make.

But it was just so annoying to try and get that woman to leave her alone.

"Koneko-chan! Gremory-san keeps bullying me!" Futaba tattled, much to Rias' shock, to Koneko. "Tell her to stop!" She continued to drawl out.

"I'm not bullying you!" Rias answered.

"Yes, you are!" Futaba exclaimed back.

"No, I'm not!" The red-head replied.

"Yeah-huh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yeah-huh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yeah-huh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

A single finger was eventually raised and made the room fall silent. It was by a small hand judging by the size of the thin arm. Slowly looking over towards the source of the arm, Futaba had to move her head to the side while everyone else just moved their heads a little bit. In their eyes, Koneko had a flat look as she was staring and pointing at Rias. "…No." She stated before looking back down to some cookies that were on a plate and began munching on them again.

Futaba grinned while sticking her tongue out to Rias. "See?" She asked smugly while hugging Koneko. "She told you to stop."

"No, she didn't!" Rias exclaimed.

"Yeah, she did!" Futaba countered.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Hah!" Rias said triumphantly, folding her arms in superiority. "You just agreed that Koneko told me to not stop!"

"But you agreed that Koneko-chan told you to stop before that!" Futaba bickered back.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"…" Koneko continued to nibble on her snacks, undisturbed and undistracted.

Everyone one else in the room meanwhile just stared at the bickering of Rias and Futaba while Koneko sat silently in the middle of it all. "Are we even a part of this conversation anymore?" Issei asked, pointing at the three sitting down.

 **TakeABreak**

The sound of a wooden dummy being beaten echoed through the surprisingly empty school gym.

Echoes of impact bounced around the walls. Each strike was crisp and perfect. The speed in which each sound came was fast, but also took its time at the same time. Every couple of seconds, one would be louder than the previous ones. Hit by hit, they grew louder. Pausing, there was only a second of silence before the banging of wood resumed once more.

Akira focused a bit as he began to slowly have his body remember of the Wing Chu katas he was taught back in the sport gym in Shubuya. Staring at the three upper, wooden points of the dummy, he struck the neck of his target while having his arm stiff against two of the wooden limbs. Lifting his foot to hit one of the lower wooden part, his left arm hit a higher limb as his right struck the face.

With a couple movements of the arm, Akira slightly lowered his body as both hands now struck the dummy's chest. Each strike was precise and tense yet flowed easily.

Sweating, Akira felt the drops or water run down his uncovered chest since he knew that the workout was going to be a bit intense by his own standards. "Wow, Akira, your body is really starting to remember those katas." Morgana commented, sitting on top of the head of the wooden dummy. "Guess it's all coming down to muscle memory, huh?"

Akira nodded, grabbing a towel and wiping himself off while taking a few sips from his water bottle. He was fast when learning these kinds of things or even getting used to them. It only took about four days to get used to the dummy and another couple after to master the katas back in Tokyo. He could assume he was just that kind of guy that could adapt.

"Sitri-san coming in from behind."

Hearing Morgana, Akira turned his body around and indeed saw the student council president walking towards him. At the same time, the two Phantom Thieves noticed that there was no company with her. It was either that she actually came alone, or they were in hiding just in case they needed to ambush him.

If Akira had to say, he did not expect seeing Sona. "Hello, Sitri-san." The Persona-user nodded his head nonchalantly in the student council president's direction before taking another swing of his water bottle. "Never thought I'd see you here."

"I see that you are busy improving your body, Akira-san." Sona stated, eyes slowly trailing up and down his body. From what she could observe, Akira had well built despite him looking pretty skinny. Maybe it was because of the clothing he wore it made him look thin. So far as she could tell from the exposed skin, he was well-toned as well with a fair amount of muscle that would be appealing to most girls.

Keyword being most.

"You also seem to handle your katas against the dummy fairly well." She commented, having a bag slung over her shoulder as she adjusted the strap.

Akira looked over towards the wood that he was beating. But his eyes were staring at Morgana. Since the cat was watching what was behind the boy the entire time but also observing his fighting, the cat should have been able to see Sona watching them. "Yeah, he's pretty good with it." Morgana answered.

Sona simply nodded as Akira turned back to her. "Right. But I think you prefer to skip the small talk and move onto the reason why I am here." She stated.

"Not really." Akira shrugged his shoulders. "Small talk is usually a good way to understand someone at first or get closer with them. That way if you accidentally say something they do not like, they won't be as angry as they would be towards you as before."

"…Debatable, but thank you for the advice." Sona felt her glasses slipping down a bit so she had to readjust them. She reached over towards her bag and pulled out a laptop that she had stored inside. Opening it, she began to type in the password. "What I wanted to talk to you about was this."

Turning the laptop screen over towards Akira and Morgana, the two of them saw the home page to Phan-Site.

Things just got a bit more complicated now. "…What is it?" Akira asked, attempting to play dumb. Hopefully, he could get away with it and throw Sona into a loop. He didn't want to reveal his or anyone else's identity yet.

But it seemed that Sona was not as dumb as he hoped she would be. Then again, maybe it would be better that way. "From what I can tell, it is called the Phan-Site. An online webpage with several conversation threads and also talking about what sort of achievements they have done." She stated, causing Akira to continue to stare onwards. "Not only did this website appear just last year, but also in Tokyo… Where I remember that is the city where you and your companions all came from."

"Oh yeah…" Akira trailed off, as if remembering. "The reason it's called Phan-Site is because it's inspired by the name-"

"Phantom Thieves of Hearts." Sona finished for Akira, still holding a straight face but an unreadable glint was in her eyes. "I know. They're fairly known around the world if I am correct. Due to that group, there had been several incidents where people acted extremely foul but suddenly began to confess what they have done, apologize, and even seem to compensate for what they have done. There are a few actual significant events though…"

Gesturing towards a nearby bench, she walked over towards the wooden seating as Akira and Morgana followed her. As the two Phantom Thieves looked at one another while taking their own seats, Sona had already grabbed a second chair that was nearby and set-up her laptop on top of it. "Suguru Kamoshida, a former professional athlete and Olympic volleyball champion, former volleyball coach of Shujin Academy; he admits that he sexually harassed and abused his own students." She pulled out a photo of the teacher and placed it down.

"Ichiryusai Madarame, an artist who was really plagiarized his own pupil's work while abusing them." She pulled out a picture of the former con-artist next.

"Junya Kaneshiro, a crime lord who even the police had trouble managing to arrest the man due to lacking evidence… until he confessed his acts of blackmail and turned himself in to the police." She put the photo down.

"Kunikazu Okumura, father of Haru Okumura, the former-president of Okumura Foods. He confessed at a press conference of his maltreatment of his employees… But then soon dies in a very disturbing fashion." With a frown now, she slightly narrowed her eyes towards Akira while putting the picture down.

"Then there is Masayoshi Shido, former politician who had been attempting to run as the next prime minister of Japan. He, however, confesses many crimes that he has committed before the broadcast had to be shut off."

Seeing the final photo being placed down, Akira noticed that Sona's narrowed eyes with a frown accompanying it was still on her face. "There was one thing in common when it came down to these six incidents… a calling card which the Phantom Thieves used to warn their victims that they were going to 'steal their hearts'… And they were successful it seems by having them all confess what they had done."

Akira slowly waited for the reason to why Sona was not looking at him nicely.

"However, there is the issue of Kunikazu Okumura." She said. Akira immediately knew what the issue was, but if she suspected him being a Phantom Thief however was a different issue. "His death…" She looked up to Akira. "What did you do to him, Akira Kurusu… A member of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts."

There it was. The words he was looking for came straight from her mouth. It still surprised him though. A slightly alarmed look was worn on his face. He thought about trying to deny her accusations. His mouth slightly opened, but then it fell silent. Should he really lie to her?

"While I am lacking the proper amount of evidence and proof, it is simply a conclusion that makes a bit more sense to me rather than anything else I could come up with." Her look lost a small amount of anger and slightly became a bit pleading. "I ask that you do not lie to me. This is an issue that is extremely important to me and the safety of the students of Kuoh Academy."

Looking down towards Morgana, it seemed the feline also had the same reaction. But he too was silent. Sighing, he looked at Sona before answering. "How did you find out?" Akira asked her, deciding not to lie. Sona had trusted him, giving him the information that he needed so far related to the Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels. It was about time he had shown the same amount of trust to her.

"With all of the research I've done." Sona commented, her face giving off suspicion once again as she folded her arms. "You transferred over to Tokyo due to unknown reasons. Due to this sudden change in education places, you attended Shujin Academy last year. But that year was when the Phantom Thieves appeared. Not only that, but I believe that it also involves the power of your Persona. Since Morgana said that they are not Sacred Gears, it made me then think about what they were. But then it made me think while searching, how were the Phantom Thieves able to change the hearts? That question led me to the hypothesis of a Persona being related to such cases."

She closed her eyes for a small moment before opening them into a glare. "But I digress. What did you do to Kunikazu Okumura to have him die like that? Why did you need to kill him at all?"

"We didn't." Akira answered.

"You're lying." Sona replied.

"I am not." Akira countered, narrowing his own eyes back in defiance. Watching Sona open her mouth, he waited for her voice to deny him again. But she didn't. She instead chose to close her lips. Taking the silence as a means to continue, that's exactly what he did. "We managed to steal his heart. But while he escaped, something had happened… Someone else had killed him."

"…Are you trying to shift the blame?" Sona questioned.

Akira sighed, almost feeling like he was back in the interrogation room with Sae Nijima when he was captured. "I'm telling the truth." He stated, looking directly at Sona's eyes. "You can think I am lying, but I am not." He didn't let her reply. "The persona who killed Okumura was Goro Akechi."

Sona blinked. "Goro Akechi… The Detective Prince?"

He nodded. "He was a Persona user as well. With his power, he murdered many other people before, being the cause of many metal shut-downs and people suddenly going insane. All of it because of Shido. Shido used Akechi as a hitman to cause incidents that would eliminate the competition to be able to take over as the prime minister of Japan."

"…" Sona listened with patience. Yes, she could choose to doubt Akira's words and immediately have him and his friends taken into the Underworld or even the police to have them charged by the law. Although there was the issue about evidence once again. But she felt like she should give the boy a chance to explain. "Then, if I may ask, how did the Phantom Thieves steals hearts and Goro Akechi kill Okumura-san?"

Akira thought about it for a moment. He could easily explain how he had done it. But then that led to a problem. He had no evidence. The Metaverse Navigator app had disappeared when Yaldabaoth died in turn. "…I have nothing to proof that I am telling the truth though." Akira warned.

To his surprise, Sona nodded her head slowly. "I at least expect you not to lie." She stated. "I will be the judge of your words however."

Akira nodded in thanks. "There is something called the Metaverse, which involves individual cognitions." He really wished Futaba was around so that it would be easier to explain it all. "Using something called the Metaverse app, we could enter a person's cognitive world depending on who they were. When entering, we could see the world as the person would see it from their own eyes."

Sona raised and eyebrow. "See the world as the person would see it?"

He nodded his head. "Right. For example, Kamoshida viewed Shujin Academy like his own castle. Inside all girls were obedient sex slaves while all students of the volleyball club were jailed and painfully trained." He paused to let it sink it.

"What does that have to do with stealing hearts and the death of Okumura-san?"

"For the cognitive worlds we enter, those people have what we call Treasures." Akira explained. "Such Treasure is basically the corruption or something within them. Once we are able to steal it and leave the Metaverse, they will have a change of heart and confess what they have done and feel remorse for their actions."

"I see…" Sona placed a hand to her chin. "So that's what you meant when you were going to steal their hearts."

"But you are wondering how Okumura died so disturbingly." Akira asked, getting Sona to continued to stare. "It also involves the use of Personas in a way. Inside their cognitive worlds, there exists another version of them which we call their Shadow. Their Shadow versions are protected by other Shadows as obstacles." He bent forward to make sure to emphasize that the next thing he was going to say was important. "But we can't kill the Shadow versions of the target. If we do, they die. Using our Personas, we fight out way towards the Treasures and then send the calling card before stealing it."

"Let me guess though." Sona raised her hand to silence Akira for just a second. "Something goes wrong when stealing from Okumura-san."

"No." Akira answered, earing himself a confused look from Sona. "When I mentioned Akechi killed Okumura, we never interacted much to know each other to hold a long conversation and he was not a Phantom Thief. When attempting to steal the Treasure, Shadow-Okumura attempted to fight us off but failed. He was still alive when we stole the Treasure and ran. But while running, we didn't know there was one other person in the Metaverse with us."

"Let me guess…" Sona finished. "It was Akechi and he killed this Shadow-version of Okumura."

"Yes." Akira nodded.

Staying silent, the human, the cat, and the Devil and sat patiently. Seeming to be the one who needed to tend the silence, Akira opened his mouth but was cut off by Sona. "This tale… It is certainly a wild fantasy."

"I may not have explained it very well, but I assure you I have been telling the truth." Akira stated.

"So you claim." Sona countered. "But still, thank you for telling me this. I am the student council president of Kuoh Academy after all. It is partially my duty to keep all of the students as safe as possible. With the Phantom Thieves and the incident of Okumura, I didn't want to risk all of you running around if such a case was threatening." She slowly began to stand up. "It is late for the both of us. As far as I know, you are telling me the truth. But I am still curious about the Metaverse, and how your life as a Phantom Thief was. It must have been a great deal for you."

"Being the leader was a bit tough." Akira admitted as he too stood up.

"Oh," Sona commented. "You were actually the leader?" Staring, she looked up and down all over Akira's body. "You must quiet the person to be able to organize your… heists." She put it into thieving terms.

"You could say that."

"I have a couple of requests then if you don't mind." She stated, having Akira raise his own eyebrow as he waited for her words. "Since you are a leader, you must have created many strategies on the fly or before entering the Metaverse. Not only that, but you must have interacted with many people and have a good understanding of them." She waited for him to react and saw him nod. "If you'd like, I am in the student council room every day during lunch due to work or having to play chess. I would find it interesting if I could get your opinion of different decisions I make or even have a match or two against you for the game. In exchange, I could provide you with more information of the Underworld if you ever need it."

Putting a hand to his chin, Akira thought about it. Honestly, there wasn't really any downside to accepting this deal. The more information they could gather, the better. Plus, Sona seemed to be an honest person. It also seemed like she was trying to be a good leader herself and was possibly asking him for his help for doing so. "You got yourself a deal." He held his hand out.

With a small appreciative smile, Sona shook it.

"Thank you for accepting my offer." She nodded. "Now please put your shirt back on."

 **I Am Thou… Thou Art I-**

 **Hah! It's not a Confidant link! Anyways, yes, I made it so Sona finds out that Akira is a Phantom Thief. But in my opinion, she could possibly actually piece it together if she did enough research and thinking. Plus… I think it's beginning to near the time the Phantom Thieves rise once again… this time towards the supernatural side of the world.**

 **The next chapter… what will happen? HINT! BLONDE PEOPLE!**

 **I have no idea if I got half of that stuff right from what Akira was explaining.**

 **Dear Guest, who has been posting what the weapons are for each of the characters and how they look generally… I do appreciate that you are telling me this, but I've already gone through new game plus and gotten them all (some even on my first playthrough). Not only that, but I'm also keeping the TV on while putting them at different angles so I can get my own descriptions. Example… I think I saw something on Makoto's Judge of the Dead revolver that looked like a modified iron sights when she was performing a hold up with the team. It's those kinds of interesting details that I'm sort of trying to look for.**

 **So, it's okay, you don't have to post such reviews. It's all cool.**

 **No flames please.**


	8. Chapter 8

**I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.**

There was a nice breeze among the sunlight through the very space that was the city which the Phantom Thieves lived in at the moment. Ann's part-time job shift as a model was finished rather quickly as apparently since they didn't like the weather that was meant for the theme of the upcoming magazine. With an apology to the teenager, the crew left and left her with nothing in particular to do so she just ended up walking around the city in her school uniform since she had not gone straight to the apartment where she resided in.

Ann was on her own walking around in one of the parks that the city had to offer. She couldn't remember which one it was, but she couldn't care less since they all provided such a nice atmosphere and environment to be enjoyed. Taking in a deep breath, she sighed.

"Ughh… so bored…" She sighed while rubbing her head. "Akira, Ryuji, and Haru are all busy at their own part-time jobs. Yusuke is attending the Kendo club. Makoto is studying. Futaba is hanging out with Koneko. What am I going to do right now?" She thought to herself. "Should I study? Nah, too boring."

"Huh? Ann-chan?"

Turning her head when she heard a voice, the ashen-blonde girl found herself pleasantly surprised when she saw who had spoke. "Haru?" She asked, seeing the heiress standing just a couple of meters away from her. She took a single step forward to close the distance. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"I've already finished all of the paper-work at the café. I wanted to stay and help some more, but Akira-chan said that I should go back home and finish my homework if there is any left." Haru had a soft look on her face. "He's so caring when it comes down to all of our futures."

"That's our leader for you." Ann agreed, nodding her head to add more weight to her opinion. "Speaking of which, I got a text from Futaba-chan. She's been begging for one of us to go into the Occult Research clubroom and rescue her from Gremory-san. Apparently she's constantly being asked to joint the peerage over and over again everyday."

"Really?" Haru questioned, tilting her head with a curious expression. "That's odd. When Akira-chan told Gremory-san no, she stopped. Maybe Futaba-chan isn't drawing the line hard enough."

"Either way, it sort of makes me scared of what will happen when I awaken my Persona again." Ann commented, slightly shivering. It was an act, but it helped her make a point.

"Don't worry." Haru comforted Ann, placing a hand onto her shoulder. "I'm sure that when the time comes that you'll be strong." She then looked over to her side and noticed something. "Oh, how about we get some ice-cream? My treat."

"Mmm, ice-cream." The blonde of the two hummed in appreciation at the though of the sweet treat. "Sure thing, if you don't mind that is."

"It's no problem." Haru giggled as the two of them began to walk to where they saw an ice-cream vendor just standing around waiting to serve his next customer.

The two of them were close when heard the sound of someone crying. Stopping, the two of them looked over their shoulders to see a child sitting on the ground and holding his knee in pain. The kid probably fell down, and it appeared that a nun was consoling him. Issei was even nearby, seeming to try and help calm the kid down with the nun.

A nun was a pretty strange sight around this place. There wasn't really a church around if the two of them remembered correctly. The two of them then saw an eerie green light. "What the-!" Ann breathed loudly as she saw that it was the nun who was presenting that radiating light. "That looked like something Makoto, Morgana, Akira or me would do when healing you guys!"

In a matter of seconds the child had stopped crying and was back on his feet. Ann and Haru both watched as the nun smiled to the male. They even saw that Issei was even in shock.

But it slightly began to turn south when the mother of the boy found her son. From the distance the two of them were standing, the two Phantom Thieves heard the nun smile and explain how they had helped the boy. But then the words of the older lady fell upon all of their ears.

"You shouldn't talk to someone strange like that. Who knows what she actually is."

Ann's jaw partially dropped while Haru covered her mouth while gasping. They knew that some adults could be cruel, but that was just downright blunt with such an insult!

Seeing the son and mother walk away, it seemed that Issei was attempting to comfort the nun now. Ann was the first to initiate, walking towards the duo. Haru quickly followed behind, already having a feeling what the blonde was going to do. "Uh, hello there!" Ann said, a bit of cheer in her tone to make her seem friendly. "That… uh… was quite a trick there."

The nun flinched a bit and turned to face Ann and Haru as the former arched an eyebrow when she got a good look at the Sister. The nun herself looked to be about fifteen or sixteen, so about the same age as Futaba. She had long, shiny blonde hair that licked just below her rear end, green eyes, and a petite but still well-developed figure. She could honestly say that the girl was very beautiful and quite… meek looking as well. Her attire consisted of a dark teal nun outfit with white accents, a white veil, a satchel on her right hip, and brown boots. There probably wasn't any other possible way to stick out even more than she already was. The bright, blonde hair alone did the trick.

Ann should know. She lived it.

"O-oh, h-hello!" The nun said with an awkward bow. "I-i-it's very nice to meet you!"

"Huh? Takamaki-senpai? Okumura-senpai?" Issei asked, standing off at the side with a surprised look with a startled blink. "What are you two doing around here?"

Haru bowed a little. "Sorry. We didn't mean to startle the both of you."

"Ah, n-no! You guys didn't do anything like that at all!" Issei stammered a little bit, his hands raised and waving them around a bit.

"It's okay." The nun gave a small smile before her eyes widened and she looked like she remembered something very important. Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself to all of you. My name is Asia Argento."

Issei gave a friendly smile. "I haven't really introduced myself to you either. My name is Issei Hyoudou. But my friends call me… just Issei." He finished awkwardly, attempting to sound cool at first but botched it at the end of it all.

"My name is Haru Okumura." Harun introduced herself. "It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Ann Takamaki." Ann stated, letting the nun know her legal identity. "It's just that I've been wondering about that thing you did just now with that green light." She scratched the back of her head. "That was a pretty neat trick."

Asia smiled kindly. "It is a gift bestowed to me by God."

Ann didn't buy it one bit.

The way Asia's smile suddenly turned somber and depressed further supported her doubts. There was definitely more to it than that. However, it wasn't really her place to pry for information if the girl didn't want to give it away. It would just be rude of her to ask Asia something like that off the bat, and that was reinforced even more by the fact that she and Haru had just met her. But still… Ann was almost certain that what she and Haru just saw was a Sacred Gear in action.

Judging by Haru's silence, the girl was also thinking the same thing s Ann.

"No gift would make you look so sad." Ann commented sincerely.

"Ann-chan is right." Haru added. "A real gift would put a smile on your face, don't you think?" She finished off with a friendly smile.

"Takamaki-senpai and Okumura-senpai do have a point." Issei threw in his own opinion. Seeing how three girls were staring at him, he immediately blushed a bit in a sheepish moment while unsure where to look. "Well… I mean they are called gifts for a reason…" He mumbled in embarrassment.

Asia blinked in surprise before smiling kindly again. "The three of you are really good people."

"Depends on who you ask." Issei responded, still unsure where to look. He soon resorted to looking up to the sky.

The bright, blonde girl began to giggle a bit at the boy's reply. But it was quickly interrupted when a sudden, loud grumble resonated from somewhere. Ann, Haru, and Issei looked around for any construction equipment but didn't find any. A few seconds later there was another rumble, but this one was much louder than the last. Ann arched an eyebrow as the blonde girl in front of her blushed and looked away bashfully.

"S-sorry, I guess I'm still a little hungry." Asia said with a nervous laugh.

"A little?" Issei cringed. That was even louder than… well… something that was loud.

"I see." Haru's face was a bit concerned. "Well, I know a place where you can get something to eat." She offered while looking at Issei and Ann. "You all are welcome to come along if you would like."

"Oh, I don't want to impose on you…" The blonde nun responded apologetically.

"M-me?" Issei pointed to himself. "…Would you really be okay with that?"

Haru smiled and gently took both of their hands. Don't worry about it." She told them as she began to drag them along as Ann began to follow along in tow.

 **TakeABreak**

Asia looked curiously at the food that had just been brought to her by Akira who gave them all a raised eyebrow but didn't ask any questions. She had no idea what it was since she let Haru order it for her. It seemed to be just a normal curry with a combination of meat, carrots, and pita bread. She glanced up to Haru to see her blinked at her in concern. She then smiled and gave her a nod of encouragement.

Giving a nod back, Asia lifted the combination of food using the bread, bit down, chewed, and then swallowed. "Haru-san, this is amazing!" Asia proclaimed with an excited look on her face, stars metaphorically forming in her eyes.

The addressed teenager giggled happily. "I knew that you'd like it." She stated with a smile. "It's similar to normal specials here in at Neko no Mise. But I put in an order of pita bread to see how it would sell compared to it normally being with rice. But I think most of the flavor comes from Akira-chan's cooking technique."

"Oh right, you're one of the supervisors for this place." Ann said, such information coming out of the blue.

"Yup." Haru nodded her head in confirmation. "Since I want to try and open up a café eventually, I thought that working here would be a good start. Especially since they brought me up to a partially-high position already to handle the paperwork."

Ann soon looked over and couldn't help but deadpan as she watched both Asia and Issei both ignore the small talk the two Phantom Thieves had as they both inhaled their dishes with impressive speed. Although… "I still can't believe you ordered the Voodoo Vindaloo again, Hyoudou-san."

Looking up, the brunette had his lips closed but jaw dropping as if about to speak. Quickly holding a hand up to show that he was just quickly going to swallow, he commanded the food to go down his throat as he chugged his glass of water. "I mean it does make my stomach feel weird, but it tastes so good!" He finally breathed as he partially slammed his glass down. "By the way, I really should thank you for the meal, Okumura-senpai."

"Issei-san is right. We both should be very thankful." Asia added.

Haru waved the two of them off gently. "Oh, think nothing of it. I'm just happy to see Asia-san and Hyoudou-san enjoying the food here."

"Actually, I've been wanting to ask you something, Asia-san." Ann asked, getting the fellow blonde's attention. "If that's alright with you. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

"Oh no, go ahead." Asia smiled brightly.

The ash-blonde nodded. "Are you from Europe or something?" She asked her curiously. "I've never seen you around town and you don't really see many people with blonde hair and green eyes."

The girl nodded in understanding. "You are right, I am from overseas. I'm here because I got transferred to this town's church."

Ann slightly glanced over to Haru before looking over to where Akira was working. Despite the distance they were at, the leader of the Phantom Thieves had pretty good hearing as he eyed Ann and raised an eyebrow.

It was odd why it was this town specifically after all. This place was populated by a few Devils as well as who knows how many Fallen Angels. Considering the amount of activity started growing, such a transfer was a bit sketchy. "That… makes a bit of sense. But why were you transferred here?"

There it was, that look again. Asia had the same look when she said that whatever she did to that child was a gift from God. It really didn't suit her. Ann preferred the sweet smile she usually had. It was much lovelier than the melancholic look that she had right now.

Issei seemed to see this and his expression formed into concern. "Hey, Asia-san. Is everything okay?"

"Huh?" The nun looked up to see everyone staring at her. "Y-yes! I'm fine… I'm okay…"

"Are you sure?" The brunette asked, leaning back into his seat. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. But it's not good to have negative feelings bottled up in you."

A second passed as Issei's words processed through Asia's mind as it caused the blonde to smile gently. "Yeah… I don't want to say anything right now. But thank you for being so kind, Issei-san."

Seeing the brunette stammer once again, Haru giggled in amusement as Ann grinned before she felt a vibration in her pocket.

Pulling out her phone, she saw that there was an incoming call. "Hello?" She asked, a small period of silence following. "Are you kidding me?! Right now?!" Taking the phone off of her ear, she looked at the time and groaned before placing it back onto the listening flesh. "I can be there in about half-an-hour, give or take a couple of minutes." Hanging up, she got up off of her seat. "Sorry, but I have to go now. Work just suddenly told me they relocated and want me there immediately." Taking out a pen and a napkin, she began to write something on it. "Here, this is my number. If you ever need something, don't hesitate to call me."

"Same for me as well." Haru grabbed the pen when Ann was finished.

"Me too!" Issei added his own contact information onto the material as Haru handed him the pen.

Asia blinked while nodding hesitantly. "Um… While I appreciate the kind gesture, I don't have a phone with me so I'm not sure if it is okay for you all to give me your numbers."

"Oh, it's no problem. You should take it anyways just in case you do get a phone by some chance you can contact any one of us." Ann smiled as she handed over the napkin with their numbers to the nun.

"T-t-thank you very much. It is very kind of you all to do all of this to somebody you just met. Thank you for the meal as well, may God bless your kind soul." Asia replied gently as she clapped her hands together in gratitude while muttering a quick prayer.

Issei's head suddenly slammed down onto the table as he groaned in pain.

"Hyoudou-san, are you all right?!" Haru exclaimed, rushing over to Issei's side.

"I feel like sunshine right now." The brunette responded in cheery, sarcastic tone.

"…" Ann didn't know how to respond to such a reaction and chose not to. "Do you maybe need help finding your way to the church you're looking for?"

"It's okay. Issei-san already offered to escort me there. But thank you for the offer nonetheless."

"Alright then…" Ann said slowly as she got up out of her chair and began to run out of the door while watching Haru help Issei off of the table with Asia's aid.

 **TakeABreak**

The dark blanket of night covered the city as late evening took over. As such, much of the town had calmed down and things were starting to slow down. Although, as with nearly any other town or city, there were something that just picked up as night fell.

Grumbling, a pissed off Ann walked down the street on her way home after a long photo-shoot, dinner, and another photo-shoot right after. How in the world was it her fault that the lighting wasn't correct whenever the picture was taken?! Stupid adults finding ways to pin their mistakes on other people.

She just wanted to go home and get some sleep. How could this night get any worse?

At that moment, the sound of gunshots ran through the air and at the same time a young man's cries of pain were also heard… There it was as well… The bad thing she had practically been asking for. Ann was pretty tired yet energetic, so her mind was not in the right place while her body was quick to react though as she took off sprinting towards the source of the gunshots.

The problem was such loud sounds were dangerously close to her location. She ran as fast as she could in hopes of preventing whatever travesty that was sure to happen.

 **TakeABreak**

Issei Hyoudou was in pain, and a lot of it.

He had a hole in his leg and a large cut on his back. They both burned, almost as much as when the Fallen Angel stabbed him with that spear of hers, but not quite. Why did he have a hole in his leg and a large cut on his back again? Maybe blood loss was making his head pretty light, but he was forgetting at the moment.

Ah, now he remembered. When he arrived at the house where he was supposed to fulfill his contract, he found out that the client was dead and that some white-haired dick that called himself an exorcist was the one behind the killing. In a nutshell, the situation was completely shitty in every meaning of the word. The fact that the exorcist was an asshole certainly did not help things.

"Oh dear, oh dead, having second thoughts?" The exorcist taunted before posing himself to strike. "That way of thinking is what I hate the most!"

Issei closed his eyes and prepared for the worst to come. But… it didn't happen. Instead, he saw a shoe – his shoe – nail the cunt's head and was a hard it as the exorcist actually stumbled a bit. Whipping his head around at the source, his jaw dropped in horror. "Takamaki-senpai?!" Issei exclaimed.

"What the hell is going on here, Hyoudou-san?! Ugh, what is that smell?!" Ann groaned, pinching her nose when the scent of copper invaded her nostrils. Her eyes soon laid upon a corpse in the room, pinned against a wall while gutted like a fish. Blood painted the surface the body was stuck against as it only spread to the floor. She gagged. "Oh God…"

"Takamaki-senpai, you have to get out of he-gah!" Issei ran towards Ann to try and get her out of the house but then cried out in pain as he fell to the ground when the same leg was shot again.

Snapping her head up, Ann could clearly see the guy she had nailed with the shoe she found at the front of the house. He was short, but probably taller than Futaba. He looked young, maybe in his mid to late twenties. He had chin length white hair and red eyes. His clothes were considered clerical, unsurprisingly, and he had a silver cross hanging across his neck.

"And who the hell are you supposed to be?" Ann asked, noting the weird sword that the weirdo had as well as gun. Bending her knees, she helped Issei back onto his feet.

"Freed Sellzan, shitty devil killer and boy-priest at your service." The man identified himself in a disturbingly crazed manner. "You've got some nerve for getting in my way, you shitty Devil."

"I'm not a Devil." Ann pointed out, getting a surprised look from Issei.

"Wait, you know about Devils?" The brunette asked.

But he was unable to get his answer as Freed spread out his arms in a wide manner. "It doesn't matter!" He almost cheered, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. "Shitty Devils! Shitty Devil lovers! They're all the same! They deserve to burn in Hell!"

"And what the heck are you supposed to be, a priest? You sure have a disgusting mouth." Ann commented offensively. She then realized that she had just made a mistake since she had just went into this battle without a plan.

"Oh, I am going to enjoy raping you!" Freed lunged forward with his sword with rage.

"You stay away from her!" Issei shouted as he attempted to punch Freed. The exorcist ducked under it and smirked as he jumped and smashed his knee into Issei's face. The Devil groaned in pain but managed to grab Freed by the collar and headbutt the man's face and caused Freed to recoil back a few steps.

"That's my face, you dick of a Devil!" Freed roared.

"Takamaki-senpai, just go! I'll be fine!" Issei exclaimed loudly, wincing at how he was in extreme amounts of pain with two holes in one of his legs and a cut on his back. It didn't help that they were applied because of the powers of holy light apparently. Grinding his teeth to bear the pressure, Issei lunged forward to stall Freed.

But Ann didn't run. She knew that it was stupid of her not to, but she had a small excuse that she was tired. Still, that never dulled her senses at the moment as her mind was sharp due to the sudden pump of adrenaline. Her body told her to just get out of the house. Her instincts told her to stand her ground and help Issei.

Her fists tightened in frustration when the brunette was knocked down by the white-haired douchebag. "Hey, asshole!" Ann exclaimed, managing to get Freed's attention as he stood right over Issei. With her body moving, she ran right towards the exorcist and landed a sucker-punch to his stomach and toppled Freed over. Quickly draping Issei's arm over her shoulder, she began to drag the boy away as fast as she could.

She didn't get far when she heard a gunshot and had pain pierce her leg.

Stumbling, she had to use the closest wall for support since Freed had shot her right in the leg. "Takamiak-senpai, just leave! It's not worth it to stay around to help me!" Issei pushed off the girl and tried to engage Freed once again.

Ann couldn't help but be frustrated with herself. Slamming her fist against the wall, she released a growl of frustration. The hand that was balled up tightened so tensely the knuckles began to turn white. Her perfect teeth grinded together, unable to ground out the pain in her leg.

It was just so damn annoying that she couldn't do anything in a situation like this!

 _ **"My... It Has Been a While."**_

Gasping, she felt it pulse within her. Something inside her wanted to get out. The voice had spoken… and wanted to be free once again. Her sudden breath managed to stop the fighting between Issei and Freed as they both craned their heads over towards Ann who was still standing in place.

 _ **"Tell Me… Who Is Going to Help Your Precious Little School Companion?"**_

She began to scream, cry, shout in agony as the voice continued to spread like a disease. Falling to the ground, she began to thrash around. She constantly arched her back off of the ground, immediately to slam it back down over and over again in moments of regaining strength and suddenly losing it.

 _ **"Running Away Was Never the Option."**_

Watching Ann wriggle around, Issei took advantage of the situation as he slammed his fist into Freed's stomach to push the asshole away. Dodging the swipe at his legs, he leaned back to barely avoided a shot to his head before being tackled towards a wall by Freed's shoulder. The brunette cried out when he was stabbed with the sword made of light.

" _ **Such Is the Scream of the Inner and Outer You That Dwell Together."**_

Ann's screams were ignored as Issei continued to try and buy as much time for Ann as he could. Hitting the back of the exorcist's neck, Issei attempted to use his good leg to kick the side of the exorcist. If only he could manifest his Sacred Gear already! Why the hell wasn't it coming out?!

" _ **I Am Thou, Thou Art I..."**_

Finally, her screams got loud enough to grab the attention of Freed and Issei once more. Feeling bored with the Devil who was knocked to the ground, Freed slowly took his time to walk over to Ann. "Ohh, you just want me to do you already? Well, don't mind if I do." He sang out.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Issei growled out, holding on tightly to Freed's pant leg.

"And don't you dare touch me, shitty Devil!" Freed kicked the brunette's head to force the boy to release his grip.

Ann released a final cry before going silent and still.

 _ **"Do You Remember The Contract?"**_

"I remember… Carmen." Ann whispered before slamming her fist on the ground and began to get back up. A sudden burst of blue flames erupted from her face. Within that single flash, a red mask set itself up over half of her face that looked like the face of a panther. Behind the mask, her eyes were a piercing yellow color that stood out in the eyeholes. "That's right! No more holding back!"

 _ **"Of Course...**_ _**You've Restrained Yourself Again for Far Too Long."**_

The same blue flames that had erupted from her face now flared out from her left hand. As Freed ran up to cut her, she grabbed his wrist with that single hand and stopped his attack right in its tracks. She could feel the power rise within her.

Balling up her right hand, it also let out a pulse of the fire as she nailed Freed right in the balls and sent him soaring to the other side of the room.

 _ **"But Do Not Worry. I'll Gladly Lend You My Strength Once More."**_

Grabbing her mask, she tore it off and screamed while being covered by a pillar of blue fire.

As the color began to die down, red contrasted against the blue as it brightly presented itself on Ann. Changing from her casual wear, she now had on a skin tight red latex catsuit. There, however, was a cutout for the cleavage to present itself with a zipper at the front and back. What finished the her outfit were simple things, pink gloves, dark red thigh-high boots, and a clipped on tail at the back.

"Whoa…" Issei breathed, unable to stop himself from staring at Ann's chest. He couldn't really see it before due to the type of clothing the ash-blonde girl would wear. That as well as Issei would be the one running away when she chased him and the rest of the Perverted Trio. Although he was surprised that she wasn't mean to him when they were with Asia. His eyes however trailed towards the large figure standing behind her. "H-ho… Ah… Hah..."

Its skin was pink… but its bust was huge and revealing almost everything! Just live Ann, the cleavage of the figure was showing. Despite its much barer presentation, the outer half of the body part was covered in some kind of black material. It was hard to tell what it actually was since it over was around her shoulders and provided a collar before disappearing along the arms and body of a red and black dress with a few designs all over the body.

The arm and stomach were nearly blended in with the rest of the body. Black was the main color that took over the two areas. But within such a dark area, the only color to be provided as well were red hearts littering the dark color while there would be a strip of light-pink adjacent of the color vertically. The same could be said for her heeled boots except around the bottom, the actual heel and tip of the footwear being crimson red.

The rest of the dress had one layer of cloth overlapping another layer about five times. Red was once again the main color, but then bright pink (that looked like orange or peach) and black highlights helped make the dress look more appealing. Around her waist were several large and small roses with a long thorny vine wrapped around her body. Where such vines led to was a bit of a surprise.

The first vine led to some kind of male figure in a suit being used as a footstool for the lady. The male didn't seem to be bothered or love the treatment. He wore a formal suit with a red-bowtie and the vines were wrapped around his neck. The most peculiar thing was that his head was a metal box in the shape of a heart as his eyes were also that shape but his mouth was round and had bars like a jail cell.

The second vine was the same, leading to a male that looked identical to the first. But the secondary object floated in the air, dangling yet looking mesmerized by the thing that had captivated him.

The head and face looked rather… peculiar. Well, the face was hard to describe since it's face was actually covered in a black panther mask that covered even the back of her head with material looking similar to the kind that covered her cleavage. A cigar was in her mouth and was lit up, smoke lazily climbing upwards. It had black hair as well, in an odd fashion of having it in the style of twin-ponytails while using a drill-hairstyle look as well.

"You are so fucking disgusting." Ann said slowly, making sure Freed got every single word that came from her mouth as she stood her ground with a completely healed body. "You almost make me ashamed of being human."

"Auuugh! You bitch! The only time you're supposed to touch my dick is when you're making me feel good!" Freed exclaimed, grabbing his balls as he began to get back up off the ground.

Walking, she stood in front of Issei protectively. With a swing of the figure floating, the woman that had been summoned looked towards the brunette. Right before his eyes, he could see his flesh regrow and there were no longer any holes in his body within seconds. Even the pain had disappeared. "How…" He breathed in fascination.

"You just go and murder someone… Someone who must have had a family… friends… maybe they loved someone or someone loved them. But you took that away without a single trace of remorse!" Ann continued on as Issei slowly began to get back up as stare at Ann in awe. "And you also hurt a student for no good reason at all! You're the shitty one around here, you complete dick!"

"Hah?! Didn't you hear me earlier?!" Freed picked at his ear with his pinky, looking to see if he had gotten anything that may have been inside. "That asshole is a shitty Devil! A demonic-being that is disgusting and should just go die! Just like shitty Devil-lovers like yourself."

"And you're just a shitty person in general that needs to be taught a lesson!" Ann suddenly raised her hands to produce some kind of weapon.

It had a fancy D-guard and shiny handle. The actual guard part protecting the handle looked like it was made from bronze though as it had a copper-like color and a think gold design along the outer shell. There was even a hilt for the weapon. Instead of a blade though, there was a tiny column with a single going point. At the tip of the point though were three gems adjacently placed around on the left, top, and right of the area. On the left was a sapphire in a diamond shape. On the top was a pale emerald with the shape of a diamond. On the right was a ruby with the exact dimensions and shape as the previous two gems.

Yanking the top though, the weapon was revealed to be a whip as an orange energy tether kept the handle and the tip connected. Stretching her weapon to make a point, she looked like someone dangerous in a kinky way depending on the person.

It was very interesting that her shiny Naraka Whip came from what could be considered a dark Persona: Black Frost.

"I've had enough." Ann grounded her teeth, pulling at her weapon to emphasize her frustration. "I'm going to enjoy beating the crap out of you!" Stomping one foot down, smoked pour out of the Persona's cigar violently. "Let's go, Carmen!"

No mercy, no holding back. That's what Akira had warned them when it came down to Fallen Angles. The same could be applied to this case. Carmen seemed to take a deep breath quickly as Freed ran forward recklessly. With a fast exhale though, a giant cloud of smoke erupted from the Persona's mouth and stopped the exorcist in his tracks as he coughed violently.

The smoke also provided cover for Ann as she rushed forward. Hoping that Freed would be confused, she was slightly disappointed that the cunt wasn't. But she still managed to get the drop on him as she unleashed a fury of lashes.

Despite being unable to fight for so long, her flexible body simply danced on the fly and forced freed to defend himself. Every time he tried to block one attack, two cuts appeared, and the attacks that he didn't block and tried to dodge instead would still cut him anyways. His clothes and skin were getting shredded by the vicious assault. The look in Ann's eyes were angry as her whipe splattered Freed's blood over the walls, ceiling and floor.

"Gah!" Freed grunted as Ann kicked him away. The unexpected assault had pushed the two over by the corpse and far away from Issei who stood in place in shock. With Carmen standing right next to Issei, the Persona lobbed several balls of fire towards the exorcist while he was distracted by Ann. But the Persona missed as it shot past the both of them and landed on the floor. A pillar of flames looked like lava as and intense heat came from a large column of fire where the projectile had landed.

"Go to Hell!" Freed screamed as he jumped back and aimed his gun at Ann. He smirked as he attempted to pull the trigger in a last-ditch effort.

Freed's eyes widened with horror as his gun was suddenly tangled in the whip and Ann pulled the firearm out of his grasp. Spinning around with momentum, she eventually turned back to face Freed, but now there was a new weapon in her hands.

A tommy-gun was what she held. Almost like her whip, it was purely a color of shiny gold. There was no stock to the weapon at all. There was just the main body of the weapon, an iron sights, and the barrel. The handle was a large as one would be on a nice pistol, so it fit perfectly in Ann's hand. The ammunition clip was circular, larger than the size of the handle and provided the front cover part of the trigger guard. The barrel was supported by the action bar and there was even a long front sight to accompany the lengthily compensator as well.

In simple terms, it was a modified golden tommy gun.

Wild Hunt made from Odin was overcomplicated for a simple weapon.

Issei's excitement now turned to a scared look at how violent the blonde was being. Ann pulled the trigger, inflicting a few bullet holes into the exorcist. But none of them seemed to be lethal. Unfortunately, there was a sudden click in the middle of the spray of bullet as Ann let out a growl of frustration. "Wait, it jammed?! Are you kidding me?!"

Before she could do anything about it though, there was a sudden scream that stopped her from what she was doing. She turned around and her eyes widened to see Asia standing nearby. She looked terrified and it looked as if she was starting to cry.

"Ann-san… Issei-san… What is going on here? Why are you…?" She seemed to trail off when she noticed the dead body in the room which promptly caused her to scream again.

"Asia-chan! Asia-chan!" Freed wheezed as he quickly moved in front of Asia. "Heal me! Look at what the shitty Devil loving bitch did to my body! Heal me quickly so I can kill them both!"

Ann and Issei both narrowed their eyes at Freed while Asia looked at them with curiosity, fear, and concern. She then looked back at Freed and developed a rather sorrowful and pleading expression on her face, much to the blonde's and brunette's surprise. "Please Father, stop this. Ann-san and Issei-san are good people." Asia pleased with the crazed priest. "They helped me a lot when I first arrived at this city."

After hearing her words, Freed quickly wore an angered expression and slapped Asia's cheek so hard that she lost footing from the sudden painful action and fell over. "You bitch! You're not better that that shitty Devil loving whore over there!" He shouted while pointing to Ann.

"Bastard!" Ann and Issei shouted at the same time before exchanging looks with each other. Ann raised an eyebrow but still gestured over to Freed. Seeing her school-mate nod, she charged towards Freed with Carmen taking better aim at the one who she was going to beat up so badly.

However, before Ann could reach freed, a blinding red light encased the whole room and what appeared to be a magical symbol materialized in the air. A few seconds later, a blast of red-black energy came screaming out of the symbol towards Freed.

The blast hit the crazy exorcist dead on as he was blown away from where he stood. Soon enough, the entire Occult Research club came out of the circle all of a sudden. "Don't worry, Issei-kun, we've come to save…" Kiba started off with a loud voice, but he slowly lost it as he noticed Ann.

"…Yuuto-san?" Ann asked, confused to how the circle suddenly appeared and summoned all of the Devils of Rias' peerage. "Wait, how did you all get here all of a sudden?!"

"I should be the one asking questions." Rias stated, walking up towards Ann with a suspicious look. "What are you doing here?"

But before Ann could answer, a voice interrupted them. "Well isn't this tear-jerking?!"

Everyone turned to the side to see Freed standing at the doorway. He was still heavily injured, but was otherwise not harmed by the energy blast that was just thrown his way. The smoldering hilt of the sword showed that he had managed to block the attack but it got destroyed at the same time.

"It appears that there are too many shitty Devils here at once!" Freed exclaimed, the crazed look from before returning to his face. "Sorry, but I can't play here anymore. It stinks in here!"

Suddenly, the exorcist produced something from his robes and trew it on the ground. A large cloud of smoke appeared blinding everyone in the room. A few seconds later, a scream and rushing footsteps could be heard.

Ann burst out of the smoke and followed the sound of the scream and feet out the door. It should have been so obvious! Tat smoke cover was only a ploy to make a quic get away!

The blonde sprinted out of the house and looked around for any signs of Freed o rAsia. At first, there was nothing. But out of the corner of her eyes she spotted two figures running into a nearby alley. Ann ran after them and quickly reached the alley. But when she got there, they were gone. It was almost like they had vanished like a fart in the wind.

Ann began to think where they had gone before a black feather fluttered down from the sky.

Wait… a black feather…

She crushed the feather tightly in her hand as anger boiled inside of her. Eyeing the sky, she made a vow. She was going to save Asia. The fellow blonde was innocent! The nun literally did nothing wrong!

This was something she was going to tell all of the Phantom Thieves. They will all agree to help her. They will agree to save Asia. They will know the determination that Ann felt. They all will do their best. Together, they were going to search for such a gentle character. They all will find her. She knew they would.

When they do find her, there was going to be no power on the Earth that could stop them!

 **I am not exactly happy with the chapter. I wanted to add more Issei in because I honestly want him to be able to look up to the older female Phantom Thieves like sisters/idols, no romancing at all since he already has a few people in the DxD series. But… I did a job. It wasn't a good job… but it was one. Yeah, this was pretty weird in general.**

 **I say the fight was a bit disappointing.**

 **But anyways, setting up for the next chapter in a sense? I don't know.**

 **There is going to be a game mechanic I haven't seen in a P5 fic yet so I hope I'm the first one to use it in the next chapter… if I can make it work.**

 **If you can guess who is going to unlock their Persona next, you deserve a cookie. If you get it wrong, you deserve a slightly over-baked cookie.**

 **Buy yourself cake-flavored pie/pie-flavored cake if you can guess the order I'm going to awaken the Personas.**

 **No flames please.**


	9. Chapter 9

**I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.**

"And that's what happened."

As much as Ann would have loved to have just blamed the Occult Research club for interfering with the whole situation, Ann blamed herself for not being able to react fast enough when she saw Freed throw that smoke bomb. Instead, she just went home immediately without even talking to Rias' peerage as she simply got back to the Phantom Thieves and reported what she had gone through.

"So that's why I'm asking you guys to help me find and save Asia-san!" Ann exclaimed after, standing up while throwing her arms open to emphasize her need.

As everyone stared at her while sitting down, Akira was the first to answer with his elbows on a table and chin resting on his hands. "And we will save her." The black-haired male answered. "But, there is still the need to finding where Asia-san is to begin with. We don't even have any idea where the Fallen Angels are setting up their own base."

"Akira's right." Ryuji nodded his own head. "We can't do anything unless we can find out where they are so we can bring the fight to them."

"Although…" Makoto said slowly, starting to get an idea. "This could also be the perfect opportunity to get some stuff ready. I think we may even have some supplies from our previous Palace infiltrations that we could use like medicine and such." Nodding her head, she took a couple steps away from the group before turning around. "I'll go and check to see what there is in stock."

"We don't know how fast we'll find where they are though." Morgana stated however, slightly frowning as he paced around the table on his four legs. "We also have no idea what they're going to do to Asia-san if we don't find her in time. So we'll have to not only search for her quickly, but also react just as fast. As Makoto said, we need to have as many tools as we can have ready at our disposal."

Haru stood up. Since she and Ann both were the only one's who hung out with Asia, she was one who had a much higher level of determination than everyone else. "I'll see if I can help make some food to help you guys keep your strength up when fighting."

Akira raised his hand however to stop Haru. "No. I'm sorry, but I can't have you doing that at this time of night. I think it might be better if you help Makoto search for medicine. There may be some stuff that we could use that's not as effective as the food but possibly still useful."

Seeing Haru nod in determination and walk off, Akira turned to Futaba and Ann. "You two, go to sleep now. Since you both are the only others that have awakened you Personas, it's best that we have you ready for a fight at any moment."

"But-!" Ann attempted to protest but Futaba placed a hand on the ashen-blonde's shoulder.

"Akira's right, Ann." Futaba said quietly. "You have Asia-san on your mind… You're worried about her. But you won't be able to save her if you're too tired to fight." Tugging on Ann's clothing, the orange-haired girl kept pulling and refused to move until Ann did.

Watching Ann begrudgingly walk away to her room since all of them were in the girls' apartment, Akira sighed while resting his face in the palm of his hand. "I really hope I'm making the right decisions here…" He said, rubbing his forehead. "Plus I think I'm rushing you guys as well."

"Come on, dude. You're just doing the best you can. Besides, if it were any one of us giving orders there'd be a lot of setbacks." Ryuji pointed out, attempting to boost his friend's confidence.

"He's right." Yusuke agreed, nodding his head.

"But think about it." Akira said straightly. "This is reality that we are dealing with. Not the Metaverse. Not a Palace. The real world." He paused for a second. "An actual human life we are dealing with here with. This isn't changing a heart like we normally do."

"…" Both Ryuji and Yusuke were silent, thinking about Akira's words.

He was right. This was not as simple as going through a Palace defeating Shadows eventually having to steal the Treasure and fight their way out. Now, the shots from their guns did matter. The strikes of their weapons had to be careful. It didn't have to be said, but the weight of thought was a bit obvious.

It was going to be difficult to not kill real people in reality.

"…I'm going to go search around on the internet. Maybe they're staying at some famous place or something around the city. I mean, they don't really want to be seen with blood on them if they do happen to hurt someone when entering a hotel." Ryuji volunteered, getting off of his seat and walking out of the door to get back to their own apartment.

"Hey," Morgana managed to get Akira's attention as the cat hopped off of the table and onto the couch. "Think we might still have some of that stuff you crafted in your room back in Tokyo? Maybe even some more materials?"

Akira thought about it. Humming to himself in thought, he nodded his head. Yes, they may still have some combat infiltration tools left. Although… there was actually something that just came to his mind. Looking over to Yusuke, the blue-haired boy looked like he was in an awkward position since he was the only one left with nothing to do.

"There's something very important I need you to do."

 **TakeABreak**

The sun was bright and the sky was clear, but the streets of the city were noticeably empty as lunchtime approached. How strange considering that it would usually be the time that the streets were packed with people. The weather was nice too, and it had been nice for the last week or so. Why people would choose to stay in on such a wonderful day was baffling… or maybe it was actually a school day and people were working.

Among the scarcely populated streets was Ann. The Phantom Thief weaved her way around the people that she came across as she moved swiftly and intently towards her destination.

What was she doing out of school during lunch?

During the morning as she arrived to school, she walked into her classroom and saw that there was a note on her desk. Well… she didn't really see it. Akira actually pointed it out when she dropped her bag right on top of it. The contents of the note were pretty suspicious and quite cliché if Ann had to state her opinion verbally. It was a typical 'meet me at this location' message.

The sender even cut out letters from magazines and newspapers so that there didn't have to be any writing. Whoever sent it either really was not messing around or had a really strange sense of humor.

At the moment of thinking about why she was walking outside of school grounds, the teenager passed the park that the note had singled out for a rendezvous point. Suddenly, Ann felt someone grab her shoulder. It was not aggressive, but it surely got her attention.

The blonde turned her head slightly to see Issei standing behind her. It seemed that the perverted boy had recovered from his injuries rather quickly. Maybe it was with Devil powers or something. There was something odd about the whole situation though. Rias or anyone else from her peerage weren't spotted nearby so either they were hiding or not around at all.

Still, Ann had to ask with a bit of a surprised look. "Hyoudou-san? What are you doing here?"

The brunette had a confused look. "What are you talking about?" He scratched his head. "Didn't you get my note?"

Ann raised an eyebrow as she dug into her pocket and fished up a crumpled wad of paper. She held it out for Issei to see. "You mean this?" Seeing the boy nod, she raised an eye even higher. "Why would you send me a note? You could have just talked to me, you know…"

"Y-yeah, but… you're kind of… uh… intimidating..." Issei admitted while sheepishly scratching the back of his head now. "

"…Intimidating?"

Issei nodded energetically. "You're pretty intimidating." He stated with a bit of fear as he eyed her carefully. "If the fact that you would chase me and the others down whenever you would catch us wasn't enough, using that whip and gun is scary enough by itself." He finished with a dreadful cringe but then it began to lighten. "Although…" He trailed off to stare at her chest for a second.

"Yeah…" Ann said awkwardly before noticing where his eyes were. She slapped the back of his head. "Focus!" She scowled for a second. "So, any reason why you called me out?"

"I want to save Asia-san. But in order to do that… I need your help, Takamaki-senpai!" Issei stated earnestly, rubbing the back of his head.

Ann stared for a few seconds. She then blinked. "You want to save Asia-san?" She repeated the question just in case she wasn't hearing things.

"More than anything else." The perverted boy nodded his head. "Plus, you're the only one I can think about that also knows about Devils. So you have to know about Fallen Angels as well then! You're the only one I can ask since we both know Asia-san."

"Why ask me then?" Ann asked, folding her arms and developed a confused expression. "I mean, I definitely would be glad to help you. But what about Gremory-san helping you? If you want to find her then Gremory-san could probably do it better than me."

Issei hung his head, "I don't think that's an option."

"Why's that?"

"Because Bachou told me to forget about Asia. That it's too dangerous for me to continue associating with her." Issei's voice was sad and slow. "But, I really want to save her. I can't just leave her with those freaks." He continued. "Even if I die, I can at least make sure that Asia-san is able to escape."

Ann didn't reply immediately. Closing her eyes, she was perfectly content with Issei's answer actually. Yes, the boy's actions were perverse. But the rumors were certainly much more exaggerated that ever. She first witnessed that when Issei talked to Asia. Ann also remembered when he protected her. She was no convinced that Issei meant every word, being such an honest person.

He was no longer a pervert. He was now a chivalrous pervert.

"I like that answer." Ann stated with a smile. "Alright, I'll help you." Issei's eyes lit up. "But… We have no idea where to even start looking. Ever-"

"Issei-san? Ann-san?"

Both teenagers looked over to the side and were stunned to see Asia standing next to them. She was safe… and seemingly uninjured.

"Well… that was easy." Issei commented.

"Yeah."

"So… what do we do now?" The perverted boy asked, really confused on what to do.

"I don't know…" Ann said slowly, wondering if there was going to be more to this event. "Maybe get some lunch?"

"Uh, I guess?"

 **TakeABreak**

Akira was at the back of the school for lunch. Not the old school building, but a small clearing hidden behind some trees. It was the perfect spot not to be disturbed even if there was noise. Not a soul would disturb him. He prepared himself, getting into a good position.

Sona waited in a bit anticipation for Akira to get start.

Setting up a small object that looked like a combination between a grenade and a C4 explosive, Akira backed away a fair distance while Sona stayed a couple of feet behind the black-haired boy. Morgana himself was in his humanoid form as he watched the two of them be at a good amount away from the item. With his slingshot aiming for the thing, Morgana released a shot and hit the item.

The explosive blew up.

The size and power of the blast was fairly powerful. Akira and Sona both had to cover their ears as the noise was louder than expected. Fortunately, especially for Morgana, it was only bad enough to cause their ears to ring for a couple of seconds before they unplugged the open canals to their brains.

"Well, it seems that any form of impact will cause them to explode." Morgana stated with an interested look at the damage that had been done to the area that had been a victim to their tests. A good chunk of the ground and a couple of trees were gone and knocked over due to a lack of trunk.

"…" Sona stared with a slightly disturbed look as she then looked over to Akira who was nodding his head in approval to Morgana's comment. "You made explosives…" She said in a tone that proved she was not too happy with what she had just discovered. "…In your room."

"It's called a Megido Bomb. I made it from tanned leather, red phosphorus, and liquid mercury." Akira nodded his head as Sona seemed to glare at him. "Don't worry, I have a limited supply of everything so I can't make any quantity I want anytime." He stated in a matter-of-fact tone."

"The fact that you made such threatening items is still a huge concern." Sona deadpanned, folding her arms. "Just where did you get tanned leather, red phosphorus, and liquid mercury to begin with?" She thought about it for a second. "Wait, let me answer my own question. You found all of that in the Metaverse, didn't you?"

"Pretty much." Morgana nodded his head, shaking his skull.

Sona then shook her head. "I don't think I want to ask how such things can be found within such a place." She sighed, massaging her forehead before looking at Akira. "So let me guess… You're getting ready to save that nun that Ann-san is close to."

Akira looked over to his side. "You know about Asia-san?"

"Correct." Sona confirmed, widening her standing posture to make herself a bit more comfortable. "Rias explained everything to me last night, feeling a bit anxious that her new Pawn is going to try and act on his own."

"And what is your opinion of the situation?" Akira asked, getting a questionable look from Sona. "I'm just asking. How would you feel if it was one of your own members in the predicament Hyoudou-san and Ann are in?"

"…That is a bit of a tough answer." Sona admitted, putting a thoughtful look on her face. "I… I think-"

There was a quick sound of vibrating, but it was enough to cut Sona off. Reaching into his pocket, Akira pulled out his phone just as Morgana leapt up on his shoulder to get a better look of who was messaging the boy. Sona also peek over to see the conversation on screen.

 _[Guys, this is crazy. But I found Asia-san!]_ Ann texted each and every one of the Phantom Thieves in the group chat.

"Wait, is she serious?!" Morgana exclaimed, rather surprised at this sudden outcome.

 _[For real?! How the Hell did that happen?!]_ Ryuji answered, seeming to be in as much of a shock as Morgana judging by the words.

Yusuke was next to dive into the conversation. _{I too am curious as well.]_

 _[That's what I'm planning to ask her.]_ Ann told everyone. _[We're going out to eat lunch at the moment with Hyoudou-san. Hopefully Asia-san will tell me everything we need to know.]_

 _[Can't you just bring her back?]_ Akira asked.

 _[I don't think that's a good idea.]_ Makoto commented. _[Who knows what may come to the school if we do end up doing that. We'll have to keep this issue outside of academy grounds]_

 _[So does that mean that we'll have to be ready earlier than expected?]_ Haru joined in. _[We knew that it could have happened at any time but I didn't think it would be this fast.]_

 _[I'm kind of happy that you found Asia for two reasons.]_ Futaba put in her own thoughts. _[First of all, we can find out where those Fallen Angels are and kick their butts. Second, it's the perfect opportunity to escape from Gremory-san. Ugh, she has no idea of when to just give up! No matter how many times I say no, she keeps pressing on!]_

"Rias does have her reasons though." Sona said from the side, reading the conversation.

 _[Sorry, we're about to eat now. I'll start questioning Asia-san now.]_ Ann had to end the conversation there.

As Akira placed his phone into his pocket, Sona stared. "Despite the sudden rush, you're pretty well organized."

"It's sometimes good to keep a cool head in the situations you are in." Akira answered. "If you lose it, you could be in a disarray and lose concentration. Such could be applied to battle."

"Noted." Sona nodded her head. Hearing footsteps approach them, she turned her head and raised an eyebrow at who was walking towards them. "…Yusuke-san? What are you doing here?"

"Ah, Sitri-san, I was not aware that you would be joining us." Yusuke nodded his head, fully aware that the student council president had discovered their secret identities but kept it all a secret. "I'm just here to drop off a few things for Akira that he asked me to make."

In Yusuke's hand was a briefcase. Seeing the blue-haired boy hand it over to him, Akira took the object and quickly opened it up. There were cards, many cards that held all kinds of strange symbols and pictures.

Taking a card that had a tiny fireball, Akira stared at it for a few seconds. Akira then shrugged before flicking the card away to send it soaring. Picking up a rock and throwing the stone, the card was hit but nothing special really happened. It simply fluttered down with a bit of a crease in the middle of the card but nothing to severe.

"…Okay..." Akira said as he picked up the card. "Morgana… Now I want you to try and hit it with since you are in your Phantom Thief clothing." He tossed the object once again. This time, Morgana raised his golden slingshot and released a pouch. His aim was perfect as he struck the card dead center. The result from the shot landing was an explosion of fire that wasn't as bit as a Megido Bomb, but still powerful.

Yusuke stared at the display that was before his eyes. "Does this mean that we can use these cards that I have drawn up as well and it is not just restricted to you?" He asked, looking at the inside of the briefcase. "You must have collected so many while I have drawn and replicated countless amounts… This is amazing." His eyes looked in awe.

"There's something else that I have to see though." Akira said before passing the new card in his hand to Sona. "Do you think you can channel some energy into this card and attempt to shoot it?"

Staring, Sona gingerly took the card and looked. It… didn't seem to be anything more special than a brilliant drawing of a small flame. Pointing it forward, she pumped just a small bit of magic into the card. Seconds later, a fireball soared out of the object and nailed a tree in the process.

Watching the tree and card burn, Akira ignored Sona's surprised look as he nodded. "Perfect. Now all we need to do is wait for Ann's report."

 **TakeABreak**

Putting her phone away, Ann turned to Asia while Issei was sitting adjacent from the both of them as they were given their food from a small fast-food restaurant they found. "Asia-san… I know this may be hard for you, but I need to ask you some questions. "Is that okay?"

The shorter blonde girl frowned, as if she knew what was coming. But she still nodded her head regardless.

"My first question is how are you here right now? The last time we saw you, you were taken away by that Freed guy." Ann inquired, her arms folded and her expression serious with Issei nodding.

Asia lowered her head. "I… ran away from the church." She said, gaining a shocked look from Issei. "I was going to tell you that I was on my break, but when I saw that the both of you were at the park I decided to be honest."

Ann nodded her head, trying to be as gently as possible. It then hit her. "Wait… the church?"

"Yes. The church near the city's edge."

…Ann pinched the bridge of her nose, tilting her head back and inhaling sharply. She should have known, how could she have been so stupid? Asia did say that she got transferred to this town's church, where else was she going to be? She literally had been hidden in plain sight and she still was unable to put it together. That was definitely a slap in the face.

Well, the good news was that their search was no longer needed.

"Okay… I have a third question and it should probably be the last. How many Fallen Angels are there and is there anyone else?" Ann asked, knitting her fingers together.

Asia didn't answer immediately. "I think there were four of them… counting Raynare-sama. Then there is Freed with a handful of other exorcists."

Ann stayed silent. That meant that there were still two Fallen Angels that they didn't know of. That wasn't as bad as she thought it would be… But wasn't Raynare that person who attempted to kill Akira? Either way, Ann got the information she wanted. "Sorry guys, but I have to get back to school soon. Hopefully I'll see you all later." She quickly grabbed her burger and drink.

"Wait." Ann stopped as she was slowly getting off of her seat to see Asia fidgeting around a bit in her seat. "S-since you asked me a few questions, it's only natural that I get to ask a few things myself… right?"

Ann thought about it for a bit and shrugged. "Yeah, that sounds about fair."

"My first question and only question is…" Asia started to frown. "Were you going to kill Father Freed?"

A frown soon grew over Ann's face as well. "No, I wasn't." She answered, looking down slightly. "It… sort of sickens me that guys like Freed actually exist. But no matter how much I would want them to probably go and die… that isn't the answer. At least… that's how I feel."

"You don't have to think about it so hard, Takamaki-senpai." Issei stated softly, earning a nod from Asia. "Plus, you did save me back there, so I'm grateful for that." He gave a small smile. "I'm weak after all. I'm so weak that I couldn't do anything. If you hadn't interfered as you did, I would have most likely been killed."

"I don't think that makes you any less likable." Asia stated, earning the attention of the Kuoh student duo. She smiled shyly, her cheeks flushed red. "You both are the kindest people that I have ever met… and I am really thankful for meeting you two in my short time here."

"So, we're all friends?" Issei asked with a slightly eager smile. As everyone else nodded their heads with their own warm looks, he decided to switch topics. "So Asia, could you tell us your story? You know, what your life was like before you got mixed up with Fallen Angels and that psycho exorcist?"

Asia took in a deep breath and recomposed herself, even if barely. "I was abandoned as a baby by my parents at the steps of one of Rome's churches." She started. "The church took me in and raised me there." She paused for a moment. "Then, one day, an injured puppy wandered into the church's courtyard. I prayed to God will all I had so that the puppy would get better. That was when my… power had awakened."

Ann and Issei remained silent as Asia continued her story.

"When my miracle was discovered, I was moved into the Main Church where people from all over the world came to hear my prayers." She stated with a smile. "I was truly happy that I could help so many people. It made me feel like I had something great to offer, that I was useful." She continued. "Then… one day, after finishing attening the morning masses, I stumbled across an inured boy. Without hesitation, I quickly healed him… only to find out that he was a Devil."

Ann frowned at that information, and the sad look that took hold of Asia's face once again. I was branded as a witch for healing a Devil and immediately excommunicated."

Issei looked away somberly as Ann slammer her fist on the table. Luckily, they didn't attract any attention. "Are you kidding me?!" She nearly shouted, but settled for a loud whisper. "That was a complete accident and yet you still were thrown out?! What kind of bullshit is that!?"

"That's pretty harsh." Issei commented sadly.

"No kidding." You did so much for them without asking anything in return, and those bastards banished you for a simple, small mistake." Ann scoffed angrily, adding in some words.

"Don't say that!" Asia cried defensively.

Ann rolled her eyes. "I don't see why you're defending them." She continued. "They treated you so badly and for what reason? For helping someone that you weren't even aware of being a Devil? How were you even supposed to know that?"

"Yeah!" Issei agreed.

Opening her mouth, Ann stopped herself from speaking anymore to think for a few seconds. "But… I guess that shows just how kind you really are, Asia. Most of your life you've remained faithful to your religion, and later on was treated badly by the very people that made you believe in it… and yet, in the end… you don't hate them." She looked out the window to see the streets starting to bustle. "But, at what cost?"

Asia tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Ann turned back to face her and briefly glance at Issei out of the corner of her eyes. "Asia… you're a lonely girl, aren't you?" Both younger teenagers looked shocked at Ann's statement. "If it makes you feel any better, I was kind pretty lonely too… for a very long time. Until I met a dear friend… and everyone else."

She brought her full attention to Asia. "I don't want you to be lonely like I was back then. So that's why you've just gained an important friend for life. You won't ever have to be alone again, Asia. The same goes for you as well, right Issei?"

The brunette nodded his head eagerly for a few seconds. But then it hit him. "Wait… Issei?" He asked.

"Well, yeah, we're friends now." Ann stated. "Plus, saying Hyoudou-san is a bit of a mouthful. Well… Takamaki-senpai is as well. So, just call me by my first name. Should be simple enough."

Issei blinked before smiling widely. He then looked at Ann hopefully. "Ann-senpai… I know that there is still school to go to… but can I spend more time with Asia?"

Ann smirked. "Were you going to do it anyways even if I said no?" She watched him look away. "Yeah, thought so."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. You should continue making Asia happy." Ann smiled, looking over to the other blonde. "Hear that Asia? You're going to be spending your afternoon together with Issei… You don't have a problem with that, do you?"

The surprised blonde in question shook her head. "N-no."

"Then I leave her in your care. Make sure that you have some fun as well."

Waving her hand, Ann ran off back to school while texting.

 **TakeABreak**

Rias sighed as she looked at Issei. Her Pawn had just barged into the clubroom about ten minutes ago with a bloody shirt and a seared wound on his chest. There was no doubt that it was the work of a Fallen Angel. Although, when Issei told her his story she noticed a few things that were a bit… off.

The first thing she noticed about his story is that Asia was involved yet again, even after she had repeatedly told Issei to stay away from her. The second thing she noticed was Ann's involvement in the issue. The blonde in question seemed to know a lot more about Devil's than she expected. It was almost like she knew everything Akira did.

Rias' green eyes moved to the side to see Akeno standing at the entrance with a slightly concerned look on her face. Kiba was sitting on the couch, polishing a sword. Koneko was sitting next to the male, knowing on a piece of candy yet still kept an ear open.

"Issei-kun, I told you over and over again to not get involved with that nun." Rias chided in annoyance. "But, now it seems that even Ann-san has gotten involved with your shenanigans. She's not even supposed to know about Devils."

Issei shook his head vigorously. "But she knew Asia too! She wants to save her as much as I do!" He almost shouted. "If you won't do anything to save her, then Ann-senpai will! And I'll help her!"

"No, you will not!" Rias countered as she got up from behind her desk. "I will not allow you to! You've almost died twice in one week's time and if you die again, I won't be able to bring you back this time!"

Issei looked away with a sour look on his face. "What's the big deal then, huh?" He looked back at his King. "I'm just one piece on the chess board. A simple Pawn! I'm easily replaced."

A slap suddenly rang out and everyone in the room, even Koneko, turned to see Rias standing in front of the perverted teen. Her arm and hand was raised while Issei's head was turned as if he had been slapped. It was pretty obvious what happened to everyone in the room.

"Don't talk like that, Issei-kun." Rias said, pulling her hand back while trying not to raise her voice. "Do you really think that the Pawn is the weakest?" She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at the boy in front of her. "The Pawn piece has special traits that none of the other pieces have called Promotion."

The brunette tilted his head with a questioning look. "Promotion?"

The red0haired beauty nodded. "When a Pawn is deep in enemy territory, they rank up to any other piece, besides the King." She explained. "But, it is not something that you can do at will. As I stated, it required you to be in enemy territory, and have the permission of your King to do it."

"Enemy territory and the permission of a King? That's another detail you forgot to mention."

Slightly startled, everyone turned their heads to see Akira walked through the door carrying a suitcase with Morgana perched on his shoulder in cat-form. Sona however stayed right beside the black-haired male as she traveled the same speed he did. Futaba popped her head out from behind Akira and gave Rias a glare. Ann meanwhile was behind them by only half a second.

Walking right over to where Rias and Issei were standing, Akira stopped and that's when everyone else who accompanied him did as well. "Sona… Akira-kun… what are you both doing here as well as Futaba-san and Ann-san?" Rias asked with a bit of a confused look.

"Gremory-san," Ann breathed, her voice even and firm. "We heard the entire conversation. What Issei said is true." She stated. "I met Asia the same day as he did. Just like him, I do want to save Asia… with or without your help."

"There is also the issue about you constantly pushing Futaba to join your peerage." Akira added, taking a step closer to Rias. "Stop it. In fact, don't even bother asking Ann or anyone of my friends. Their answer is going to be no. It always will be no. They will always stick with the response of no."

As Akira's eyes bored into Rias', Issei took the opportunity to take a couple of steps closer to Ann. "…Ann-senpai, I…" The brunette started before Ann put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it." Ann waved him off before giving a small smile. "It's not like you gave her to them, right? You tried your best to protect her. Besides, you asked me to help you save her, remember? Well, it won't just be us. Akira, Morgana, and even Futaba are going to help get her back."

Issei blinked in surprised before smiling back. "Yeah."

"So, you had a fun day with her?" Ann asked.

The boy nodded. "Yes, we had a blast." He answered honestly, a ghost of a smile appearing on his face before disappearing quickly. "I should have been careful… I should have taken here somewhere safe, but… she told me that this may be the last time I see her."

The ash-blonde was confused. "And why is that?"

"She… she told me that when we were hanging out." Issei responded. "I don't know what she meant, but I have a feeling she was serious."

Ann was confused. Why would Asia say… Ann's eyes widened when it hit her. The Fallen… they were going to do something to Asia that may end her life. That, or something was going to happen that kept her locked up forever. "Akira." Ann walked up and pulled the boy's head to her ear. "I… I think they're going to kill her."

Akira slowly turned his head. Looking around him, it looked like Futaba and Morgana both heard what the blonde of their group had said. "We're heading out. Now." He stated firmly as they all took a step towards the door.

"Akira-kun," That stopped all of the Phantom Thieves in their tracks as they turned to see Rias giving them a stern look. "I cannot allow you all to go after this girl either." She stated. "You all will die if you go there. Each of you may have been able to survive a single Fallen Angel or a stray exorcist." Her eyes narrowed. "But there is no way you can take on more than one."

"…" Akira stayed silent. His own eyes began to narrow as he took a deep breath. Closing his eyes, he inhaled and exhaled. It was getting very annoying at the moment. What Rias was basically telling them to do was to let Asia die. He was not going to let that slide. "If you had at least taken care of the situation from the beginning, none of this would be happening." His tone was even, but his words were cold. "Hyoudou-san died remember. I'm not going to let the same happen to an innocent girl when I know what may end up happening to her."

"But even though that happened, I still revived Issei-kun to keep him alive." Rias tried to reason, which was a pretty bad one in Akira's opinion. "Even if it happened to you, you know I would bring you into my Peerage-"

"Peerage, peerage, peerage." Akira repeated like a broken record, saying the words with a distasteful look in his mouth. "That's all you care about, isn't it? You don't care if you harass others. You just keep pressing, pressuring them. We had to drag Futaba out of her room because she didn't want to deal with another afternoon of your bullshit." Everyone flinched at Akira's swear. "It almost looks like Sitri-san is the only different Devil that I am aware of that isn't too greedy. You're nothing special as she describes. Just as common as fictional Devils come." Stepping away, he gestured the others to follow him. "Come on."

"Stop right there!" Rias exclaimed, stepping after Akira. "If you go to the church, you will die!" Akira didn't show any signs of stopping. Gritting her teeth, she slapped her hand on his free shoulder. "Akira Kurusu, I am talking!"

"And I'm not listening!"

Spinning around, Akira grabbed Rias' outstretched arm and pinned her against the wall near the door. They were face to face as Akira now had a glare on his features. The entire Occult Research club but Issei stood at attention, all preparing to protect their King. The brunette of the Devils though was shocked. Sona however stood right between them and Akira as she stood firmly in place but kept a glare in Akira's direction.

"Now you listen to me, Rias Gremory." Akira almost growled out as the voice rumbled in the back of his throat. "You are treading on a very thin line that is between my patience and a deep, dark pit of trouble if you continue to try and stop us. You could have taken care of Raynare when you had the chance, but let her go freely. You could have just asked Hyoudou-san to join your peerage but you didn't. Futaba asked you to stop asking her the same question over and over and over and over again, time after time… You. Didn't." He leaned in closer. "We don't take orders from you. We are not your servants. We are not your friends. We are strangers. If you do want to move out of the stranger level, I suggest at least to stop asking us to join your peerage as it will make you seem much more competent than usual and prove that you listen to the well-being of others. After that, I am sure that we could become friends extremely fast."

A hand grabbed the arm that was pinning Rias. Turning his head, Akira saw that Sona was now right beside the two of them. "Akira-san, let her go now." The girl requested, staring at his eyes while he looked at her. "I'm sure that she's learned her lesson now. Plus, she has her reasons. She just never bothered saying any of them due to high moments of stress. But the main point is that a war between the Three Factions could possibly be started if any members of her peerage attempt to storm the church." Her pupils narrowed. "And I'm sure that you wouldn't want to be the cause of a war… would you?"

Akira didn't say anything. Slowly looking back to Rias, his attention snapped back to Sona in seconds. Thinking, he eventually stepped back and let Rias go. "Well… it's a good thing that none of us are part of her peerage then or are Devils to begin with." He commented as he looked to all of the other Phantom Thieves around him. "Are we all ready to go?"

Ann blinked, realizing that Akria was speaking to them. She had to admit, she was a bit shocked that Akira could react like that. "Yeah, I'm ready to save Asia."

Futaba was the next to regain her senses, but easily waved the moment away. "Mm-hmm!" She hummed while nodding her head.

"Let's get going." Morgana commented from his shoulder.

Before they could move though, Sona's hand was still holding onto Akira's. "I have to ask you this question though." She stated, her narrowed eyes still staring. "Just how confidant are you being able to rescue this Asia girl without any of you dying?"

"None of us will be dying today. I can promise that." Akira answered, nodding in confirmation.

Sona seemed to be satisfied with the answer as she released her hold. "Go then. It's a shame I won't be able to see you in action. If I go, then I may be accused of commanding such an attack."

"Thanks, Sitri-san." With those words, Akira and the other ran out of the room.

"Are you crazy, Sona?!" Rias exclaimed, watching them leave. "You're just letting them go into a place that may be swarming with exorcists and Fallen Angels?!"

"Akira-san said that he is confidant that none of them will be dying. Therefore, I have complete faith in him that he will rescue Ann-san's friend without any of their lives being lost." Sona simply reasoned, walking out of the room. But before actually going out of the door, she turned her head and eyed Rias. "You would have faith in them as well if you knew who they truly are."

 **Well, there we go. I say the last scene could have gone better. But still, I'm happy with what I wrote down… even though there is a reference from something that many people may or may not like.**

 **About the crafting of infiltration combat tools and use of skill cards… I don't know. Maybe it may have ended up ruining this series, but I wanted to add it in to try and make this series more unique since this was a mechanic in game that I heavily relied on when I first started in a way to get all those all-out attacks and moves I wanted. Besides… where is Akria going to get some more tanned leather, red phosphorus, and liquid mercury for those Megido Bombs now? Plus, I'll attempt to balance the skill cards out in a way.**

 **So… Battle at the church next… and there is going to be something else that is going to just seem like it's inserted in but I feel like I want it to be like that.**

 **No flames please.**


	10. Chapter 10

**I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.**

Makoto Nijima took a small breath as she stared at the church at the edge of the city they lived in at the moment. Honestly, it looked like any other church one would see in a picture book or TV show. But there was something very peculiar about this building… there was large greenery along both sides of the walkway and building.

She knew that it was a small risk exposing herself near the entrance right now. If she told the others where she was at the moment. They would be extremely persistent on her leaving immediately. But it would be a good idea to at least have a good idea of what the grounds are like so they could explore with a bit less on their minds.

Brining up a piece of paper, she looked at a rough blueprint of the church from what she had discovered so far. The church itself actually wasn't that big. There was just the main sanctuary while the living quarters were behind it. It was mostly surrounded by bushes and trees on its sides as well. There probably was a low chance that Asia was in the living quarters, so the sanctuary had to be the place.

But the main building was a bit suspicious to her. Why would the Fallen Angels choose this place besides the fact that they may still have ties with the Biblical God? There had to be more to the building that she couldn't see due to the inside.

Checking her phone, the time was between an hour to half-an-hour since school ended and when she began her own investigations. There was a huge chance that everyone should be arriving soon.

Not a single sound could be heard around the old church at the outskirts of the city. Actually… now that she got a look at the church, it seemed to be a little worn down. Was this place not visited as much? Or was it abandoned for a different place of gathering.

But it seemed like had not been noticed yet. Makoto wondered if there was even anyone standing guard. But as many times as she glanced at the gate, there was nobody. Still with caution, she opened the metal barrier and proceeded to step in carefully.

"And who are you?" A high pitched, feminine voice asked.

At that moment, Makoto looked up from her small map. Moving her head, she saw a girl with blonde hair in twin, short side ponytails and blue eyes standing up on one of the branches of a nearby tree. She wore a small black lolita dress with white frills, a large black bow on the front and a greed jewel embedded into her collar. Covering much of her legs were thigh high, white socks and black shoes. She was also wearing a bow on top of her hair.

"Umm… Hello." Makoto said slowly, blinking to make sure that she wasn't seeing things. Taking a step closer, the blonde still didn't move despite the brunette's action to get a better look.

"Welcome to our humble little part of the forest and church." The blonde girl mockingly bowed in a formal manner. "My name is Mittelt, and I will have to kill you for entering our territory."

Silent for a second due to looking over the small girl that had just appeared in her vision, it took the brunette a couple of seconds to reply. "I'm sorry, what was that?" Makoto then took a step back at the nonchalant attitude and wording that girl had displayed. "You're going to have to kill me? Plus you're saying our… does that mean there are more?"

"Correct."

Looking at the other side of the pathway, Makoto saw two people with black Angel wings descend from the air. The first one Makoto noticed was another woman, this one a buxom female with long, navy blue hair that obscured the right part of her pair of brown eyes. Her clothing was a violet, trench coat-like top with a wide collar, a matching miniskirt and black heeled shoes. The trench coat was open at her chest, giving an ample view of her cleavage. The only item of interest was the necklace that hung around her neck.

The other Fallen Angel that had showed up was one who looked very familiar due to a description.

"Can I assume that you are Dohnaseek-san?" Makoto found her eyes drifting over to the male out of all of the surrounding females. She made sure that she kept a visual on them altogether as she backed-up a bit more just to make sure that none of them would attack.

"Oh? Just how do you know my title, human?" Dohnaseek asked, cupping his chin with a hand while leaning forward.

Makoto kept his position at the ready to run if needed. "Futaba mentioned you." She commented slowly, trying to be cool about the situation. "Said how you were a pretty decent person. Although… I'm not sure if I can say the same for your… companions." The girl attempted to choose her words wisely.

"Hmm, yes…" Dohnaseek hummed in thought, looking up towards the sky. Looking back down, he stared at Makoto's red eyes. "So Futaba Sakura talks or has talked about me. Does she know where you currently are at the moment?"

"Stop holding a conversation with human, Dohnaseek." The female Fallen of the group chided with a fold of her arms. "She's going to be dead soon and you don't want to give a corpse your sympathy."

This made the male Fallen Angel silent for a couple of seconds, taking in the words of the other Fallen. "Let me see something, Kalawarner." He stated before addressing Makoto. "…I actually do not know your name."

"Makoto… Nijima." The brunette said slowly, puzzled at their rather relaxed reactions. Then again, they probably thought she was just a normal human and didn't see her as a threat. Although they did say that they were going to kill her for a reason she had yet to comprehend.

"Makoto Nijima, I advise that you leave the premise of the church immediately." Dohnaseek stated, almost in a formal manner. He coughed slightly, clearing his throat. "You are trespassing on private grounds without authorization. Due to your status as an acquaintance with Futaba Sakura, this is your one and only warning."

"One and only warning?" Makoto asked, tilting her head as she slightly frowned a bit in thought. Well, they were supposed to be holding Asia somewhere in the church. But with something like that coming out of Dohnaseek's mouth… "What is going on in there?"

"We don't have to tell you anything!" Mittelt stuck her tongue out as she hopped down from the tree and stepped over towards the other Fallen Angels.

Makoto however continued to stand her ground. "Futaba and the others are on their way here right now to save Asia-san from whatever it is you guys are doing." She stated. "We don't have to fight. This issue can be sorted out if you just let us enter and talk to Asia-san about the issue. If she wants to stay, we will go away without a fuss. If she says she wants to leave, we will escort her off the premise."

"…Others are coming." Kalawarner narrowed her eyes. "So that means that you are simply scouting this place out. It seems that we cannot let you leave here alive for certain."

"Why?" Makoto asked carefully, already taking a step back. It was well noticed though as a spear of light whizzed right past her face and landed in the ground behind her. Beads of sweat began to fall down Makoto's face and she craned her head over to see the weapon that had nearly struck her head.

"After hearing about those beings from that boy and cat Raynare mentioned to us, along with the construct this Futaba character that spared Dohnaseek, and now that blonde girl when she fought Freed… There is an easy conclusion that you are all one group… and you are all going to attempt to save Asia." Kalawarner assumed.

"You still didn't answer my question really." Makoto pointed out, not caring that they may have been found out. "Why do you have to kill me? Why can't you just let us walk in and talk to Asia?"

"You're really eager to save the girl, you know that?" Mittelt commented, rolling her eyes with an almost annoyed expression. "We're going to have to kill you because we don't want anyone interrupting the ceremony. It still needs to take time to prepare before it can start."

That made Makoto's eyes shot up with surprise. "What do you mean by that?" She asked.

The blonde smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yes, I would in fact." The brunette stated, taking a step forward. None of the Fallen Angels reacted but were surprised at the sudden brave front Makoto had put up. "This is the life of a gentle, kind soul we are talking about here. Yet what you are doing sounds like you are going to kill her just for your own sakes! What's the point? What kind of gain are you getting from this? Is it even worth it?"

"I suggest you hold your tongue, human." Kalawarner now held up her hands and a blade made of light formed while a spear of the same element appeared in the other. "Otherwise it will be the first thing I remove before severing limb after limb."

"Ohh… I haven't seen Kalawarner annoyed in a long time." Mittelt commented. "But I want in on the fun as well."

Makoto frowned while narrowing her eyes. They weren't answering her questions. It just… made her a bit mad. Did they just fight for no reason? Did they even have a reason at all? Were they willing to just end Asia-san's life for a cause they didn't understand or know of? Or were they just not telling her?

But that didn't really matter at the moment. Because it made them so nonchalant about ending human lives. IT didn't matter whether she could fight back or not, she was going to stop them somehow!

" _ **So… Are You Prepared to Fight Back Once Again?"**_

"Yeah… Come!" Makoto spoke out, immediately having the three Fallen Angels in front of her look around just in case there were other people actually surrounding them.

" _ **If That Is the Case, Let's Revisit Our Contract."**_

It then struck her head. If was as if the tires on a vehicle were grinding the inside of her skull. With a blink of her eyes, they turned yellow as the throbbing was intense. Grinding her teeth, she continuously groaned and grunted in pain at the intensity within herself. She attempted to clutch her head to contain it… but it didn't work.

" _ **I Am Thou, Thou Art I..."**_

"What is up with her?" Mittelt asked, looking over towards her companions. "Here she was all fine and now she's in pain. Not that there's anything wrong with that… but still makes me wonder what's happening."

"Wait…" Dohnaseek leaned a bit closer to the thrashing Makoto. "Her eyes… They're yellow… Just like that other Futaba Sakura I saw before it turned into Necronomicon!"

"So… I was right." Kalawarner murmured, slapping her two weapons of light together. As they fused, they simply made a larger spear. "She can bring out a summon just like those other people." She then brought her arm back to aim at Makoto.

" _ **The Justice You Pursue…"**_

"What do you think you're going?!" Dohnaseek suddenly questioned, grabbing the taller, female Fallen Angel's wrist. "These summons of their can be extremely powerful or even valuable beings! If the Necronomicon is among their ranks, who know what else there is!"

" _ **Never Lose Sight of It."**_

Stomping on the ground, Makoto let out a cry of pain as she smashed the concrete under her foot. She didn't care that all eyes were back on her. All the brunette could do was pant heavily. Raising her second foot, she stomped once again to created a small web of cracks.

Suddenly, there was a flash of blue.

" _ **Now Celebrate This Reunion with Your True Self."**_

On her upper half of her face was an iron mask. One could still see her yellow eyes though as it looked like she was glaring.

Taking advantage of the stupor, Kalawarner yanked her armed hand free from Dohnaseek's grasp. With quick aim, she ignored the male's protest as she hurled the light towards the brunette of the Phantom Thieves.

It was too late though. As Makoto screamed, she had torn off the mask and a blue pillar of flames acted like a barrier to her.

Soon, there was a loud sound. The roaring engine of a vehicle. As the fire disappeared, the three Fallen Angels blinked rapidly to recover and found themselves looking at some kind of motorbike. The frame of the bike was white while shining brightly like silver. Two thrusters were at the back and covered by a silver shield so that nothing would be able to damage such valuable parts. The front was the most unique part of it however as it presented a silver face being covered by a light-blue transparent shield.

Positioned right in the seat of the motorcycle was Makoto but in a different set of clothing. Her black suit fit her tightly, as if it were a second layer of skin. She also wore a long black scarf that seemed to flap in the air as if there were a wind blowing it back. There were shoulder and knee pads on her… and they were lined with spikes which helped give her the look of a biker while finishing the look with white gloves.

Looking down for a couple of seconds, it looked like Makoto were unconscious while sitting on top of the motorcycle. But she immediately looked up, a fire burning in her eyes as she revved the engine violently.

"…A… bike… What kind of summon is that?" Dohnaseek muttered loudly.

Mittelt meanwhile gave him a flat stare. "So much for something like that being valuable, huh?" She deadpanned.

"It's come…" Makoto said to herself, remembering the freedom whenever she rode her Persona. "I've finally arrived…" Looking over towards the three Fallen, her eyes slightly narrowed into a glare. "Gun it!"

With the squealing of tires, Makoto started up her bike and began to accelerate towards the ones blocking her way. Charing forward without fear, she got closer to the Fallen Angels within seconds. They seemed to be snapped out of their stupor though as she immediately took to the sky just before Makoto hit them all with the back of the motorbike wheel.

Pulling the brakes, Makoto brought herself to a stop. "This spirit…" She said slowly, looking up towards the three in the air. "I can feel it. I can feel it flowing through me!" Second after seconds, she revved the engine menacingly. Glaring up towards the Fallen, she seemed to make the bike roar with superiority. "Let's go, Johanna!

With a screeching wheel, Makoto spun her bike in a circle. Launching dust into the air at the same time, she partially blinded the Fallen Angles' vision and hid herself for a small window. But using that opportunity, she rode back near the entrance of the gates to the church to get distance.

Pulling the brakes harshly, she skidded to a halt while the back of the exhaust pipes spat out some kind of blue energy. Such an aura was pumped out and careened towards the three that were her current enemies. Dohnaseek, Mittelt, and Kalawarner all quickly saw this coming and flew out of the way. Watching the blue projectiles collide with the church walls, three crystal-clear blue domes appeared and only grew for a bit until they suddenly disappeared.

The destruction they had left behind was impressive, each of them leaving holes the size of medium to large sized windows. There was no material really crumbling from it either, almost as it the energy had eaten an loose debris away with ease.

But one of the three Fallen Angels did not pay attention to the damage that had been done to the church. Kalawarner kept her gaze locked on Makoto who was riding Johanna and kept her own gaze up. Eyes of the female, Fallen Angel narrowed. "That thing…" She breathed out quietly. "That thing is named Johanna?" Kalawarner's chin was lifted up higher just by a fraction. "Such a holy name is used on an inanimate object?"

"That is the name of my Persona, yes." Makoto answered back straightly, keeping herself at the ready for a fight due to Kalawarner seeming to act a bit more hostile than before. "Is Johanna that important of a name?" Did that mean the stories of the woman-in-disguise existed?

Ignoring the fact the bike was dubbed a Persona, Kalawarner took a small breath. "Johanna is a legend among the history of the Fallen. I myself have never met her, but tales of her make me look up to such a person." She turned to look at Dohnaseek. "You say that constructs such of those are strong, correct? Then why not extract them from their owners like how we're going to take the nun's Sacred Gear?"

"I'm sorry, what?!" Makoto exclaimed.

"Because the process works only on Sacred Gears!" Dohnaseek growled out before gesturing towards the brunette. "Right over there is someone with the Johanna that you idolize! This must mean her spirit and ideals live within that human!"

"No other human to this day is like the stories I've heard." Kalawarner scoffed, turning her body to come face to face with Dohnaseek. With fast handwork, she created a spear of light and stabbed Dohnaseek right through his chest. "No human will ever be able to show anything remotely close to her. And if you're not going to help me kill her, then I'll just ask Raynare to help. Mittelt, back inside!"

"Damn you!" Dohnaseek growled as he attempted to retaliate but then Kalawarner twisted her weapon to force the male to fall to his knees while coughing up blood.

As the taller, female Fallen Angel ran inside, Mittelt took a couple of steps into the building. But then she stopped to stare at Dohnaseek for just a second before running in after her fellow race.

Makoto however didn't follow, choosing to instead immediately rush towards Dohnaseek's fallen form. "Just hold on a second, I'll heal you!" Coming to a sudden halt in front of him, the face-shield of the motorbike shined a bit as Makoto yanked the spear right out of the Fallen's stomach.

The male coughed a bit, but no blood came out as a green light tickled his body and his wounds disappeared. "This light… Just like Futaba Sakura's…" Dohnaseek whispered, slowly patting himself down a bit to feel that there was no hole in his body.

"Makoto?! What are you doing here?!"

Hearing voices, Makoto turned around and saw Akira, Morgana, Futaba, and Ann all running towards her with their Phantom Thief clothing on. Akira was also holding a briefcase, but that was easily overlooked. "You're all here." She stated.

"Yeah, we are." Ann confirmed while nodding her head. "But you still have to answer my question. What are you doing here?"

Makoto seemed to have a small combination between ashamed and sheepishness on her expression. "I… may have been going around scouting out the place for you guys." She found them staring at her. "But I didn't just want you guys to-"

"Makoto," Akira cut her off while taking a step forward. "You don't have to explain yourself. You were just doing what you thought would help us. Although it's not good that you put your own being at risk, I'm glad to see that you are safe."

"And with your Persona as well to boot." Futaba commented, taking a look at Johanna. Peering over, she then noticed someone she recognized. "Oh, it's Dohnaseek-san!"

"Guys, shouldn't we be focusing on the task at hand!" Morgana exclaimed from the ground, grabbing their attention. "We don't want to be distracted due to the limited time we have to have to save Asia-san!"

"Wait…" Dohnaseek grunted, slowly getting off of the ground. He didn't show it, but he was impressed with the ability of their healing since he was already able to get back up on his feet without any pain. "If you're going to try and save the nun, please let me help you."

Akira stayed silent, wondering what he should say next. However, Morgana beat him to the punch. "And just why should we let you do that?" The cat asked. "You're a Fallen Angel as well."

"To put if bluntly, going against one of you alone would perhaps be suicidal." The Fallen Angel responded. "But with a small squad such as yourselves right in front of me all ready for a fight, there is no way that I am willing to fight a battle that I've already lost. If there was a remote chance of me winning, I would fight. There is no result that I see though." He then looked over towards Futaba. "Besides, I prefer not to anger the user of the great Necronomicon. Besides, I know the ins and outs of this place and you need to know what is happening. Not only that, but I have a score to settle and I was hoping for your help."

Akira thought about it. Only for a second though. The time they had was precious and they were wasting too much of it right now. "Alright, you're in. But don't think about stabbing us in the back. Now let's get going."

Nodding their heads, all of the Phantom Thieves and the Fallen Angel began to walk into the church. But then something made its way into Futaba's mind.

"So are we going to have to call each other by our code names again?"

 **TakeABreak**

"…"

Sona Sitri found herself thinking about something.

Yes, she did have faith in Akira and the others saving the nun without any of them dying. But still, it didn't keep her from worrying about them. The feeling kept her features set in a small frown as she stood next to the window and was staring out beyond the school grounds.

She knew fully well about the strength of the leader of the Phantom Thieves though. Or at least, from what Rias had told her about Akira. But there was also the amount of cunning and strategy the boy would display. From what was his first game of chess, from what she could tell, he had already taken out a few of her important pieces while his own line of defence was strong.

Sona still won the match with a few more pieces on her side, but was impressed with the adaptation Akira had displayed.

He was an interesting soul. A person she never would have expected to enter the supernatural world from her perspective. It was a bit surprising as well that it was a high-school student who was the leader of the Phantom Thieves that were so known all over the world. Although… it did seem like the fandom died a bit and nobody really talked about them.

But the boy seemed to be okay with that, not caring about the little fame people recognized him with. Perhaps that was another appealing trait of Akira, he didn't let and want the people get to him. But she felt like that wouldn't stop him from doing many things.

Shaking her head, she thought once again to why she found herself so concerned. Maybe it was just because he was another student at Kuoh Academy and she was concerned with every well being of those that attend the school. Or… was she developing a different kind of bond?

"…" Sona was silent for a few more seconds. Turning her head, she saw Tsubaki just finishing up her own bit of work that needed to be done. "Tsubaki," She waited for her Queen to look up. "Save that for later. We're gathering everyone and going to the church to help Akira-san and his group."

Blinking, Tsubaki slightly found herself frowning in concern. "This is sudden, Kaichou." The girl commented, getting up to her feet however. "Are you sure this is a good idea though? Wouldn't this be a possible declaration of war."

"There is the chance." Sona nodded her head. "But I can say that the Fallen had started aggressions first. Not only did they kill a human within Rias' and my territory, but also attempted to kill Akira-san, Futaba-san, and Koneko-san. With advances of violence on the table, we could possibly press charges if we don't kill anyone."

"Possibly?" Tsubaki asked.

Sona didn't say anything, choosing to stare in the direction of the church as Tsubaki left silently to gather the rest of her King's Peerage.

 **TakeABreak**

"That's right, use those legs."

Akira and Makoto both grunted as their hands were upon the alter that stood at the very backside of the church. Pumping strength into their legs as Morgana said, the two of them pushed with some power and felt the large object move a little bit. With more strength put in soon, they managed to keep the alter moving until it revealed a set of stairs down to what appeared to be under the church.

"Wow… You weren't kidding when you said that there was a secret underground passage." Ann said to Dohnaseek as she peeked down to the dark corridor where the black color swallowed the stairs. "Although I shouldn't really be surprised about this kind of stuff."

"Do you think they heard us?" Makoto slightly panted, done pushing the alter. "We did cause a bit of noise just by moving this alone."

"If the other stray exorcists are down there and not slacking off, then yes." Dohnaseek nodded his head as he took a cautious step down and peeked into the darkness and saw nothing due to the lighting.

Following the Fallen Angel, the dark began to light up as torches could be seen lined along the walls. "Huh, torches… Can't say that I would have expected that." Makoto commented as they all carefully walked through a massive hallway that was connected to the stairs.

"This place is massive." Futaba added, looking around to the other wall which was a few of meters away from their positioning. "Seriously, what kind of church has an underground passage? It's not like the building contractors would be on something like this or something… Unless this is all illegal. Wouldn't really be surprised if that were the case."

"Right," Dohnaseek said. "We should be almost there soon."

Reaching a door, Dohnaseek pushed it open to reveal a massive room that looked a lot like a dungeon, or some kind of technologically-advanced torture chamber. At the other end of the room however was Asia hanging from a cross as if she were being crucified. With a combination of lights and designs, there were even wires connected behind the cross that led to the ground.

Right in front of them all of a sudden was a small army of what could be assumed as stray exorcists, judging by their priestly clothing. They all looked like they were ready to kill them. Armed with light swords, each and everyone was armed and equipped like how Freed was back when Ann first fought the psychotic priest.

"Asia-chan!" Ann exclaimed, seeing the blonde nun just seeming to float/hang on the massive cross.

The nun looked tired, nearly exhausted. But her head raised up when she heard a familiar voice. "Ann-san…" She whispered in recognition.

But the voice was loud enough for Ann to head. "Just hold on tight! We're going to get you out of here!"

"This is a heartwarming moment, but you're all too late."

Turning their heads, they all spotted Raynare accompanied by Kalawarner, Mittelt, and even Freed as they all stood right next to the cross that Asia was connected to.

However, there were strange marks right between Raynare's cleavage and throat. The same symbols were also drawn onto Asia's skin in the same area. "The ceremony has begun, and there is nothing you can do to stop me."

"…Can't you see what you are doing?" Akira stepped forward without hesitation. Only the stray exorcists reacted though as their weapons were raised up higher. But his hands were raised, as if in a peaceful gesture. "This is a girl, a girl who had done nothing wrong. That girl is one who probably never even looked at any of you in terror or judgement. Look at her. Look at her and think what you are doing."

Raynare indeed did pause for a moment, slowly looking over towards Asia who looked so sad when before she was such a happy girl.

Bringing her hand out, Raynare touched the odd signs.

Asia's soon began to scream, the marking lighting up as if on fire. Her cries were heard for a few seconds, but then the voice died out as she slumped down and didn't move.

"Asia-chan!" Ann cried out.

"Don't worry, Panther!" Futaba exclaimed, raising her hands as a few screens popped up in front of her. One of them showed an x-ray of Asia's body. In that picture showed a beating heart with a heart-rate monitor at the corner. "She's still breathing! But… it's slowly losing its beats per minute…"

"Of course that would be the case." Dohnaseek stated, placing a hand on his fedora. "That cross there is what is separating the nun from her Sacred Gear."

"Does that mean that the Sacred Gear is being taken away?" Morgana asked, looking around. "Then where is it going?"

"That should be a bit obvious." Raynare stated, stepping forward and tapping the symbols on her skin. "With this ritual, I will soon be the new owner of the Twilight Healing granted by our Heavenly Father."

"Hey, you're that bitch from before!" Freed pointed out rather crudely and out of the blue as he glared towards Ann. "Yeah, that bitchy Devil slut who shot me! I am going to enjoy my time raping you before killing you!" He pulled out his light sword while drawing a gun.

Ann growled out while drawing the Naraka Whip out, the presence of her weapon being revealed to her surroundings.

"When I'm done with you… I am going to separate you from Johanna…" Kalawarner stated dangerously, spreading her wings widely. "Your race's ideals and morals are what killed her in the first place."

"Humanity has grown since then." Makoto responded back, raising her fists to show that she was holding some kind of strange batons. "While I can't exactly say that everyone has changed, some of us have at least."

They were colored gold and shined in the light that was under the light provided by the room. The brunette held the weapons in the middle of their body as that's where the grip was. Small cones were on both ends of the middle, with the point connecting to the middle. Groove within the cone were small to make it look like it was a grand design. After that first cone was a second one. But then that's when the design one changed, showing six gold, folded talons pinching down on sharp points that were the ends of the weapons.

Vajra was extremely valuable since it came from Asura after all.

"Well, I guess it's just me and you then, cat." Mittelt shrugged her shoulders. "Not going to be much of a fight though."

"That what you think." Morgana commented as he rested Claiomh Solais on his shoulder.

"You embarrassed me back in the park… humiliated me…" Raynare growled out while looking at Akira. With hands prepared, two light spears for in her palms. "Now it's time that I return the favor. No matter how much you beg for mercy, I am going to enjoy your cries of pain."

Akira however cracked his knuckles. Rolling his head at the same time, he felt his weapon on his person. He remembered his own words. No holding back. From his side, he presented it. His black blade which contained Satanael, the ultimate rebel of history.

All of the Fallen Angels snapped their heads towards the weapon, as if mesmerized by the presence it showed. It was as if… it was one of theirs. But that feeling was thrown out of the window as Raynare shook her head. "Who cares about that!? It's just a weapon, go kill them!"

"With pleasure!" Freed exclaimed as he ran forward.

"I'll be sure to take care of the other brats!" Dohnaseek presented his own wings. "Make sure you at least injure them properly for me."

The Fallen Angel didn't wait for a reply as he went straight for the stray exorcists.

As Makoto, Morgana, and Ann all went to their separate opponents, Akiraa and Raynare glared at each other as they both charged forward to one another. Leaping into the air, Akira attempted to kick the female but she held her arms up to block and pushed him away. Attempted to close the distance right away, she soon came face to face with Arsene and found herself blocking against while being brought back to the ground.

Watching Raynare go for his airborne form, Akira used Arsene to flip him around and disappear at the same time to flip over an incoming stab. Taking out a card from his pocket, there was just a drawing of a giant cut (Giant Slash). Slashing the card, a large horizontal mark popped out of the card. Coming into contact with Raynare, the Fallen was sent careening towards the ground with a large slash mark on her back while bringing up some dust.

Landing on the ground, Akira heard noise and looked over to see that everyone else had began fighting. Futaba meanwhile had been attempting to sneak over to the cross, but it had been very difficult with many stray exorcists coming towards her. Fortunately, Dohnaseek managed to protect her at the same time.

Eyeing Raynare again, he blinked and saw that she was gone from her spot. "Behind you." He heard her voice. Quickly turning his head, he saw Raynare preparing a slashing motion with a spear of light. But due to her arched back, he noticed that the cut he had left on her backside had just vanished before being knocked away towards one of the walls.

With a large cut on his own back, he skidded along the ground. Remembering which pocket held which cards, he pulled out a card that had a small amount of green sparkles on it (Dia). Getting back to his feet, he ducked while stabbing the card to avoid a light spear to his face thanks to a charging Raynare.

"Persona!" Feeling a small warm tingling on his back, he summoned Arsene again and the Persona launched the Fallen Angel into the air with a punch. With his back hurting a bit while stepping back, Akira took a deep breath as he flipped the grip in his knife. As Raynare fell back down, Arsene grabbed her and pushed her against the wall. With a small combo of punches and kicks, Akira landed a few hard blows all over her body. His Persona soon released its grip as it landed a blow of its own onto her face.

Raynare's face and body was covered in cuts and bruises when Akira ran off to attempted to help the others. But then he saw a green light out of the corner of his eyes. Turning around, he found himself guarding against a pissed off Raynare who didn't even look like she had been injured in the slightest.

"Just how are you…?" Akira gritted out as he struggled against Raynare.

"Twilight Healing." Raynare answered, doing her best to push against Akira as well. "Thanks to your early interference, the ritual is taking much longer than expected it seems. But slowly, Asia's life is being drained away... her Sacred Gear coming into my body for my own uses. It's nice, don't you agree?"

"It's disgusting." Akira stated. "What are you even doing this for?"

"Myself. Isn't that the obvious answer?" Raynare hopped back to gain distance before launching herself forward with nice speed.

While Makoto was fighting Kalawarner and Morgana against Mittelt, Ann and Freed stood against one another. Stretching her whip, Ann watched as Freed ran straight towards her. Lashing back and forth, the bastard seemed to be much swifter than before somehow and managed to avoid more than blocking.

"Carmen!" Ann shouted as the Persona showed itself and a black orb surrounded by red formed right in front of Freed and dropped down while being absorbed into his body. What was now going to be a powerful strike was now a normal slash as Ann lifted her whip and pulled the tip so that the tether blocked the incoming sword of light.

"Hah! Are you just a small-trick bitch, you slutty Devil lover?" Freed sneered, pressing down harder on his weapon but couldn't' make Ann budge. "All I see you doing it try to whip me into submission. Who knows, maybe I'll eventually rip that damn thing out of your hands and start using it on you."

"Fat chance!" Ann exclaimed as Carmen swung the man attracted the vine it held right at Freed and the male had to jump back to avoid a hit to the face. But Ann immediately followed up with a snap of her weapon. Striking Freed's leg, the one limb soon began to be covered in ice.

"The fuck?!" The crazed exorcist growled out, looking down at the ice before feeling another sting of the whip hit his arm. Looking un, it was also encased in the transparent, cold rock. Before he could say anything else though, his body began to be solidified in ice every time Ann struck him.

With a final lash, the tip of the whip got stuck in the ice. But Ann didn't mind that. Spinning around, she caused the block to also soar through the air like a mace on a chain. Heaving it over her shoulder, she smashed the block onto the ground and broke Freed free as he cried out in pain.

"Hold still!" Mittelt called out, chasing Morgana who was running pretty fast despite his short legs near the downed Freed. With light spear in hand, she raised her hand up to try and aim for the cat. But running at the same time proved to be difficult.

But Morgana soon bent his knees as he stopped running and pushed himself off the floor yet still remained close to it. Going right under a rushing Mittelt's legs, the cat shoved his hands against her back before pushing himself off the floor again with his hands. Flipping around a couple, he soon produced his Sudarshna slingshot and aimed. "Take aim, and fire!"

As he aimed, he made sure that the Megido Bomb he put on his was still attatched. Releasing a small ball-bearing, it hit the charge as a combination of the shot, explosion, and her running caused Mittelt to crash into a wall. Leaving several cracks, the blonde Fallen Angel got back up. But her eyes seemed to spin as she was walking around without any sense of direction for a couple of seconds.

"Haha! How do you like me n-Ahh!" Morgana exclaimed with pride but then grunted as Freed got up from his beating and kicked Morgana hard. As Freed went after the cat, Ann chased him to support her friend.

Kalawarner landed on the ground with Makoto at the same time. Before the Fallen Angel could close the distance though, the brunette produced a red revolver. The barrel was long and pretty much all of it but the handle was coat in a crimson red. The handle of the gun through was dark black. The size was perfect for Makoto's hand, the body being not too small or too large.

Despite its devil-like colors, the Judge of the Dead was made from the angel Michael.

Shooting Kalawarner in the arm, the Fallen Angel recoiled in pain. Raynare however was nearby and put her hand on her fellow Fallen Angel before being driven away by Akira. But the wound had been healed during that moment of contact before Makoto could get close.

About to fly up, Kalawarner was stopped by Makoto roaring up to her with Johanna. Landing a solid blow with her weapon, she quickly sped up to get right behind the Fallen Angel before knocking her up to the air.

Slamming against a wall, Kalawarner growled in irritation. But it was cut short when Akira came flying right towards her and brought the both of them against the wall. Akira was quick to recover though as he dodged an incoming light spear from Raynare. The Fallen Angel wasn't lucky though as she stabbed Kalawarner.

"What was that for?!" Kalawarner growled out, ripping the spear from her chest.

"Oh shut up!" Raynare growled back as she healed her fellow Fallen Angel.

While in the middle of their bickering, Akira quickly searched himself. He didn't want to waste anymore cards, she had thought about using something he made. Pulling out Flame Bottles, he tossed them both at Raynare and Kalawarner.

"Joker, duck!" Turning around, he saw Makoto raising her gun and aiming for the two bottles. Slightly taken back how she caught on so quickly, Akira dived out of the way as Makoto shot the two bottles. Flames burst out and burned both Fallen Angels. But that was short lived as Raynare quickly healed them against and they both went for both Persona users.

As Morgana rolled on the ground, Freed caught up and kicked the cat further away. But Mittelt followed up fast as she kicked Morgana into the air herself. Freed jumped up and slammed the feline back to the floor with the handle of his gun. Taking aim with a sick smile, Ann quickly interfered by using her gun to spray bullets and hit Freed to prevent him from shooting. With a pillar of fire forming under the male, the flames shot up and Freed screamed in agony.

Mittelt flew right towards Ann but Morgana recovered quickly and kicked the Fallen Angel right in her face. "Persona!" Both Morgana and Ann shouted. Carmen was the first to show itself and gestured to the cat.

Feeling himself be healed, Morgana made sure his blade was ready as Zoro created a large cloud of whirling winds around the cat. Spinning like a top thanks to the mini-tornado, he became deadly as his blade was out at the same time and continuously attacked Mittelt who had to both block and be cut by the cat's fury.

With the flat side of his weapon, he knocked Mittelt high into the air and stopped spinning around. With both Morgana's and Ann's Personas out, Zoro was first as it slashed Mittelt. Watching the Fallen Angel being sent its was, Carmen smashed one of the male-figures against the small-blonde. Coming back right to Zoro, Morgana was ready as he aimed a ball-bearing and shot the girl straight on the head.

Raynare and Kalawarner were separated when Akira commanded Arsene to throw Makoto towards the latter Fallen Angel while the brunette was on Johanna. As Akria ran while Raynare flew, the male jumped to try and slash the female. Raynare flew low to avoid the attack and knocked Akira up into the air.

Makoto came in from Raynare's side immediately and nailed the Fallen Angel in the face. Seeing Kalawarner soaring towards her, Makoto got back on Johanna and swerved just in the nick of time to avoid the woman and slam her back with the back of her Persona. Raynare got her revenge though as she came flying up behind Makoto and landed a double-footed kick against her back.

Akira was quick to follow up however as he came falling from the air and both feet stomped onto Raynare's stomach. The Trickster had to leave the fight temporarily once again through as Makoto came crashing into him. Before Raynare could get back up, Makoto pressed her feet onto the former's body to avoid Kalawarner coming at her again.

Landing a solid blow to Kalawarner's gut, Makoto soon was sent away by a very pissed-off Raynare who stabbed Makoto's stomach and flung her away. But Akira followed up with Arsene planting two feet against her face. Kalwarner appeared from the sky soon and slammed the boy to the ground. Makoto's body shined green a bit and she went back into the fray and crashed into Kalawarner with Johanna once more.

Raynare charged forward in fury and landed a punch on Makoto's face. Left open with that attack, Akira ran up and slashed Raynare's back. Holding his hand up, Arsene suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled up to avoid a spear to through his chest from Kalawarner. The Fallen Angel immediately came face-to-wheel with Johanna as Makoto came riding in once again.

Seeing Raynare go for him once more, he pushed against her head at the right time to avoid her spear and commanded Arsene to punch her again.

Soaring towards one another, Raynare slammed into Freed while Kalawarner crashed into Mittelt before all of them hit the ground in a pile of bodies. "God damn it!" Raynare roared in anger as she was the first back to her feet. "What the hell is wrong with all of you!? Why aren't you even killing these humans?!" Clenching her fists, she tried to use the power of Twilight Healing to repair her body.

But nothing happened.

"What?!" Raynare exclaimed, looking around to what the Hell was happening. "Why isn't the Sacred Gear working?!"

"And... done!"

Futaba let out a cry of victory as she was standing right next to the cross where Asia still hung on. The orange-haired girl had her attention set onto the blonde though as she had a screen up with the symbols that were on Asia and Raynare's body. "Alright, no more healing power for that Ray… nar… e…!" Slowly turning her head to see everyone staring at her. "…I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

Nobody bothered to notice all of the stray exorcists on the ground and out cold.

"Uh oh," Freed soon sang out, standing up. "Is this what's called a precarious situation?"

"Freed," Raynare growled out, standing right in front of the stray exorcist. "Don't you fucking dare try to escape. You're going to see this to the end, or I'm going to kill you myself."

"Hmm…" Freed twisted his face into a thoughtful frown. But that was gone within seconds as he cracked a grin. "Nah."

Releasing the magazine on his gun, the object clattered to the floor. An eruption of light blinded everyone in the area, causing them all to shout with surprise and cover their eyes due to the sudden shine. "That damn freed, I'm going to murder that bastard when I'm done here!" Raynare roared as Freed escaped through the door. "But first, take care of that bitch that stopped the ceremony!"

"Oracle, run!" Akira shouted as he rubbed his eyes to recover faster.

"But what about Asia-san? We can't just leave her here!" Futaba exclaimed, looking around to try and find something that could help them. Raynare glared at the girl and lunged for the hacker.

"Did you forget about me?!" Dohnaseek responded as he blocked her spear.

"Thanks, Dohnaseek-san!" Futaba nodded her head despite the Fallen Angel not being able to see it. Attempting to pry the girl off, it was almost as if her arm were magnetized to the cross. "I can't! Move! Her!"

"Like we're going to let you!" Kalawarner and Mittelt both flew towards Futaba once again but then Arsene grabbed them both by their ankles and pulled them back down.

"All of you, help Oracle! Get Asia-san out of here!" Akira ordered as he tossed a card with several large snowflakes (Mabufudyne) to the group of Fallen Angels and shot it with his gun.

As jagged trees of ice grew from the floor, the rest of the Phantom Thieves were all at the cross. "Come on!" Morgana growled, pulling on one of Asia's arms. "Move!"

"It's working!" Ann exclaimed, prying the other arm off with Futaba's help. "We're separating Asia-chan from the cross!"

"Save your breath for this!" Makoto gritted out, putting a lot of strength into pulling. "Almost…. There…" With a cry, all of them pulled Asia off of the crucifix and landed on the floor. "Come on, we have to go! Now!"

"What about Joker?!" Futaba exclaimed.

"I'll be fine! Just go!" The leader of the Phantom Thieves managed before having to avoid a spear to the head then a spear to his leg. With Arsene and him fighting, it was enough time for Morgana, Futaba, Ann, and Makoto to run out of the room and up the stairs.

"So what are we supposed to do now? Just sit around and wait!?" Ann asked, setting Asia down onto a wooden bench as they made it up to the upper level of the church.

"Well, we weren't really told that we weren't allowed to go back down." Morgana answered.

But then Makoto raised her hand to stop them. "Wait…" She slowly said, looking at the alter and the hidden passage. "I actually have an idea. Morgana, do you have anymore bombs that Akira's made?"

 **TakeABreak**

"You damn traitor!" Raynare growled and she faced off against Dohnaseek. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"That is my question, Raynare!" The male Fallen Angel replied back. "You know that this was not supposed to happen, yet I still followed you! Not only killing that owner of the Sacred Gear, but also taking one from the nun! Both of those actions go completely against Azazel-sama's orders! I am at least minimizing the punishment I will receive when he finds out about this entire ordeal!"

"Not unless I kill you first!" The black-haired female Fallen stated.

[ _Joker, can you hear me?!_ ] Futaba's voice roared in Akira's ear as he winced at the volume for a second which earned him a fist to his jaw.

"Crystal." He stated, rolling his mouth before leaping back to avoid more attacks from the duo of Fallen Angels.

[ _Alright, Queen has a plan and its already put in action. All we need you to do is get back up the stair just a couple of seconds before the Fallen reach the top._ ]

"Easier said than done." Akira commented as he retaliated with a slash from his weapon but then it was avoided.

[ _But can you do it?_ ] Futaba asked.

A smirk formed on his face at the question. "Who do you think I am?" He asked.

Running towards a wall, he looked back for a second to see Kalawarner and Mittelt chasing him still. Looking forward once again, he jumped up and kicked himself off of the wall. Landing on the ground, he began to run again. Raising his gun, he shot Raynare's arm as she was pinning Dohnaseek on the ground.

"Come on, we're getting out of here!" Akira rushed past Dohnaseek as Arsene grabbed the Fallen Angel by the arm and dragged him along until it was near Akira.

"They're going to follow us though!" The male pointed out as he jaggedly gestured to the three Fallen Angels that were chasing them.

"We just need to be ahead of them at all times." Akira stated as he began to pick up speed.

Spear by spear, they passed him and Dohnaseek. Grazed, they did their best not to stumble as the stinging pain as that would lose them precious distance. It then hit Dohnaseek during their run. "What am I doing? I have wings!"

Akira soon found himself lifted by the back of his jacket as Dohnaseek began to fly them through the hall. Flailing his arms a bit, the Phantom Thief looked back to see that the ones chasing them had also spread their wings. "Guy, we're coming up to the exit. What ever you have ready better be good!"

[ _You catch that, Queen?_ ] Futaba asked. [ _What about you, Mona?_ ]

There was the small sound of shifting. [ _Ready!_ ] Morgana responded.

[ _Just let us know when you're coming out_ ] Makoto added.

He could see Dohnaseek approaching the light that led to the main floor. "…Three…" He swung himself around to avoid a light spear which almost made the Fallen Angel drop him.

"…Two…" He heard the sound of the hammer of a gun clicking back.

"…One…" They were almost there.

Bursting out of the hidden passage, Dohnaseek and Akira both soon fell to the ground in a bit of exhaustion as they were right in the middle of the church. Rolling onto his back, he could see the three Fallen Angels about to fly right out of the opening after them.

Akira saw a couple of bombs he had made sticking on the alter before the three appeared.

Taking aim, Makoto pulled the trigger while Morgana released a shot.

 **TakeABreak**

The church was quiet, but sounds could be heard inside the building and outside the doors.

A bright, blue light emanated within the surroundings of the church just outside the front door. But at the same time, a red light of a similar shade appeared. Just a moment later, Sona was standing in front of the church with her Peerage at the ready.

Looking over to her side, Sona blinked. "You're here as well, Rias?" She asked with a hint of surprise. "I thought you wouldn't show up."

"Originally, I wouldn't." Rias sighed, placing her hand to her forehead. "But a couple of my Peerage members are concerned about those that are involved." She looked over to Issei and Koneko. "But still, I am concerned for Akira-kun and the others which is why I organized this raiding party. Although what is your reasoning for you to be here."

"The same as you. Concern." Sona answered, staring at the doors while narrowing her eyes a bit in suspicion. "Even though I did say I have faith in Akira-san and his group, I still am worried about them as Kuoh students." She stayed silent for a couple of seconds. "Is it just me or is it a little too quiet."

At those words, everyone put their guards up with the possibility of having to fight in mind. As the leaders of the student council and the Occult Research club both at the doors, they carefully opened up the wooden barriers.

The sigh before them… it was something they did not exactly expect.

The Phantom Thieves were scattered around the church. Near the now destroyed alter, Futaba seemed to be having some kind of conversation with Dohnaseek with the latter seeming to have a interested face on his features. Ann was sitting on a wooden bench on the left, slowly and gently brushing her hand against a sleeping Asia. Makoto was on the right on a bench of her own with Morgana. Akira however was leaning on a pillar near the entrance as he turned his head over to see Sona and Rias with their peerages. All of them were still in their Phantom Thief clothing.

But what truly caught the Devils' attention was what was at the very center of the church. Three bodies were laid out on the ground. Severe burns could be seen on their skin as even their hair was a bit singed. There was another thing the three held in common. All were knocked out cold.

"Sitri-san and Gremory-san." Akira nodded his head in a small greeting. "…I thought the both of you weren't going to step foot within the grounds of the church."

"We weren't." Sona answered his question. "But then we had the card that they started the acts of aggression first against Rias' Pawn, her Rook, and even Futaba-san and Ann-san. We could have pressed charges if we wanted to but then we have decided to send the Fallen back to Azazel. Well… I thought about it. I do not know what Rias thought of."

Watching Rias slowly walk towards the Fallen, Issei slowly looked over towards Ann. Walking over carefully, he peeked over to the two blondes. "Is…" He gulped, almost afraid for his answer. "Ann-senpai, is she…"

Ann looked up, slightly surprised to see Issei. But then she smiled. "No, she's alive." Ann said with a nod of her head. "She's just resting."

It was a surprise to the both of them when Issei hugged Ann. "Thank you…" He whispered, a couple of tears running down his cheeks over her shoulder. "Thank you so much…"

Ann didn't say anything as she simply patted his back softly.

Koneko meanwhile walked over to where Futaba was sitting with Dohnaseek. "…You're that Fallen Angel." The smaller girl stated.

"It's okay, Koneko-chan." Futaba grinned, patting Koneko on the head before poking Dohnaseek's shoulder. "Dohnaseek-san is a nice Fallen Angel. He even help us save Asia-san."

Dohnaseek meanwhile stared into Koneko's eyes. Quietly, he studied her gaze. Humming in observation, he looked over to Futaba. "I don't think she likes me." He commented.

Rias meanwhile stared at the unmoving forms of Raynare, Kalawarner, and Mittelt. Studying the injuries on their backs, she wondered what could have been the cause. Her gaze looked over towards Issei who looked a bit excited as Ann chuckled in amusement. Turning her head, she saw Koneko and Futaba with Dohnaseek.

The red-head then remembered the pain that the Fallen had caused for her Pawn. She remembered the attack that happened to her Rook. Raising her hand, she began to gather power. She could feel the aura of magic rise within her. It pulsated. Her palm slowly began to descend and point at the three Fallen Angels.

A hand soon snatched her arm and she turned to see Akira's grey eyes. "And just what do you think you're doing?" He asked, but Rias didn't need to say anything. It was easy to see what she was going to do.

"They are my enemies." She said. "They hurt my friends." Rias nodded towards Issei and Koneko. "I won't show them any mercy."

Akira only tightened his grip. "Hyoudou-san is still alive. Toujou-san is still alive. And the decision is not for you to decide."

Rias glared defiantly. "This has nothing to do with you. This is my territory, not yours."

Akira was unaffected by her looks. "This has nothing to do with you." He countered back. "This was our job, not yours."

"I could have done something about it."

"But you didn't."

Once more, Sona interfered before the debate could escalate any further. "Both of you, stand down now." She said coldly as she tore them apart. Holding their arms separate from one another, she dropped them later. "So, none of you seemed to have died." She said to Akira.

"I did say that." He nodded.

Sona didn't avert her gaze away from him. "It seems I was worried about nothing."

"Thank you for your concern though." Akira thanked.

Rias meanwhile had a frown of her features. Looking all over the church, she eyed each and everyone of the Phantom Thieves. "Just who are you all?" Rias asked.

Hearing moaning, everyone saw the Fallen Angels on the ground stir. "You'll know soon enough." Akira said before looking over to the other Phantom Thieves and nodded his head. Everyone got up to their feet as they walked closer to the Fallen while drawing their ranged weapons. Morgana went over to Futaba's end and stood his ground.

Everyone watched as the females began to push themselves off the ground shakily. Looking up, Raynare's vision presented Rias, Sona, and Akira. "You!" She exclaimed, attempting to pounce but then froze as a bullet shot right past her face and onto the ground.

Pointing his gun, Akira ignored the surprised and shocked looks from Sona and Rias as they were staring at his firearm. "Isn't this enough already?" Akira asked while still holding his pistol up. "I mean, haven't you had enough? What is the point of fighting anymore for you? We beat you. Can't you just accept that?"

"Why should I?!" Raynare screamed. "Lesser beings like you are supposed to scutter and scape before us like insects! We are your superiors! We are your betters! We are Gods compared to you, and we will judge you for your crime of existing!"

"Such big talk coming from someone who looks like they can't even fight back right now." Sona said, putting a hand to her chin. Looking over to Akira to see his reaction, she slightly frowned. "Akira-san, is everything all right?"

Akira buried his face into one of his hands in what seemed to be a small emotion of frustration. He took a deep breath. "I tried to talk - I want you to remember that. I tried to reach out. I tried to understand you - and now I understand you perfectly. I understand that you just don't care! Now, I don't know if you were all here to invade… infiltrate… or just kill all Sacred Gear users in the city. I don't suppose it really matters now! You are a threat to the people who live here! That is the role you seem determined to play! So, it seems that we!"

Ann pulled the cocked the handle back to prep Wild Hunt .

"Must play!"

Morgana pulled back the chains of Sudarshana.

"Ours!"

Makaoto clicked the hammer on Judge of the Dead.

"The ones who protect whoever we can."

Futaba stood her ground but then Necornomicon hovered over the three Fallen Angels and flashed a spotlight on them.

Akira narrowed his eyes as he primed his own gun while all of the fighting Phantom Thieves pointed their firearms at them. "When we're finished with you, Dohnaseek will take you back to your leader and explain everything! Who knows?! Some of you may even have a change of heart when you get back! And even if you don't, remember this! You are not welcome here until we see it fit! This city is protected! We, are the Phantom Thieves!"

Akira, Morgana, Ann, and Makoto immediately all flipped backwards before jumping into the air. Necronomicon in turn shined a light so bright that it nearly blinded everyone but the Phantom Thieves who were watching. Within the bright setting, all the Devils and Dohnaseek could make out four silhouettes charging back and forth around the three Fallen Angels who seemed to be being knocked back and forth.

Sona and Rias all stepped back when they saw the five Phantom Thieves appear right in front of them. Akira adjusted his gloves with a smirk. Morgana folded his legs while sitting on Akira's should with a cocky grin. Ann made a V with her fingers with a mischievous smirk. Makoto had her back facing the two Devils with a serious look. Futaba had a manic smile as she had her hands on her glasses.

"And we have stolen your victory!"

 **Yes, I know that the Persona Cybele creates Sabazios is technically Makoto's ultimate weapon. But let me explain.**

 **While yes, it does have more damage than Vajra, Sabazios is only stronger by 8 attack points (seriously, 280 compared to 272 only for melee attacks and no use of a Persona). Critical hit rate isn't going to be much of a useful thing in this story, so I allowed Makoto to have the power of random ailments.**

 **There I'm already digging myself into a grave so let's get the crane shovel already.**

 **Kalawarner talking about Johanna will be explained later… much… much… later. It wasn't that good of an intro (Heck, Makoto's intro was maybe passable at best) but it's the best I could come up with. I have a feeling several of you will say that it was forced.**

 **Boy did I have a time with that fight scene.**

 **There is the fact about Makoto just regaining her Persona and already fighting like a bit of a pro. But you know what I say? She knows martial arts. Back in Tokyo she focused on her studies mainly and yet was one of the stronger characters stat-wise in the game and knew proper fighting.**

 **So damn continuity. Damn it to hell!**

 **This chapter took so long, I'm satisfied with how it went. If not, I hope you will still read this story anyways.**

 **No flames please.**


	11. Chapter 11

**I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.**

"Aww, yeah! We did it!"

Futaba let out a cheer as they all began to walk out of the church without their Phantom Thief clothing. Pumping her fists in the air, she also did a little dance while moving with the group of Devils and her fellow humans. Her cheerful movement seemed to be a tiny bit infectious as all of her teammates had smiles on their faces.

After knocking out all of the Fallen Angels, Dohnaseek made sure to find a way to bind Raynare, Kalawarner, and Mittelt. With a promise from the male, the Fallen vowed to make it back to the nearest meeting point for the him to take back his fellow race members to their leader. With a quick farewell, he dragged away the trio of unconscious girls out of the church and out of sight.

There was still the issue about being them being seen in public but that was their problem.

"This calls for a celebration! A celebration of both saving Asia-san but also the reboot of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts!" Futaba declared, pointing a finger in the direction towards Akira. "And I'm not going to take no for an answer!"

"We can't." Akira stated.

"…Okay." Futaba nodded her head in agreement. Looking around her, she saw that she was in the middle of several stares looking at her. Slowly inching towards Akira due to the attention, she only stood beside him and kept a leg behind him. "What? I wasn't going to take no for an answer. But he didn't say no. So, that's that."

Akira looked down to Futaba. "My bad. I meant that we can't yet." He rolled his neck, noting the stares he was receiving from Sona and Rias. Even Issei looked at them. But the male brunette had a look in his eyes that Akira was unsure what to make of it. "If we're going to have to celebrate, we should wait until Asia-san is conscious. We should also let her decide what it should be."

Ann looked over her shoulder and kept an eye on the sleeping for of Asia who was being carried on the fellow-blonde's back. "Yeah, it's only fair for that to be the case. Plus I'm pretty sure that everyone else is going to be excited. Which actually come to mind…" She looked over to Issei. "Do you want to come along as well when we celebrate?"

Issei blinked a couple of times after realizing that the attention was brought onto him. "…Me?" He asked in surprise, pointing to himself.

"Yeah, I mean, you were kind of involved with this as well." Ann reasoned, sort of shaking her own body due to her being unsure if it was good. "Plus, I bet Asia-chan would want you to join in as well. She'd be lonely without you."

"Oh! Can Koneko-chan come as well then?" Futaba skipped over to the white-haired female and wrapped her arm around the smaller girl's head. "She helped me fight Dohnaseek-san which unlocked my Persona!"

"…It would be nice." Koneko nodded her head, not seeming to be bothered by the fact that Futaba was gently pinching her cheeks.

"At this rate, why not invite Gremory-san and her Peerage then?" Makoto asked, grabbing the attention of the red-head due to her name being heard. "We're already inviting nearly half of the Occult Research club after all. Besides, I think it may be a good way to get closer and to know one another better."

"Is that a… good idea?" Rias asked, still keeping an eye on Akira but a bit more wary than usual. Surely with how he and she had been going at each other within this day he wouldn't do so. With Akira's attitude towards her, it was as if he didn't like her.

"I suppose." Akira answered.

"Wait, what?" Rias asked, putting a lot more force into the last word than there should have been due to surprise. "Why? Don't you hate me?"

"What gave you that idea?" Akira asked back, turning around while folding his arms and standing in place. He leaned against the gates of the church. Looking up in thought, it then hit him. "Ah… Those moments." He then waved dismissively. "Don't worry about that. While you could have approached the situation a lot better, you at least had a reason or two. Besides, it's probably wouldn't be fair if only Hyoudou-san and Koneko-san only were invited. Speaking of which," Akira turned. "Want in as well, Sitri-san? Your Peerage is welcome as well if they want."

"While your invitation is welcomed, the choice to accept it is debated at the moment." Sona stated coolly, not phased at the sudden question. "However, Akira-san, I need to have a talk with you. You are needed for this too, Rias."

Both characters stared at each other silently while everyone else seemed to stare. Akira blinked a couple of times. "Well?" He asked.

"…Privately." Sona added while holding back a sigh. She swore she saw the ghost of a smile on Akira's face as the boy stepped off of the church's property before turning around.

"Guys, I'll be a bit late. Go back home. Asia-san will have to stay with the girls until further notice." Akira planned out for his other Phantom Thieves. Seeing them nod their heads, the humans and cat all walked away while doing their best to prevent the sleeping blonde on Ann's back from waking up.

"Everyone, return back to your homes." Sona ordered and all of her Peerage did as they were told.

"You too, guys. Get some rest." Rias told her own Peerage.

Soon, all of the Devils were all gone as only the leaders of the groups were left standing in the middle of the sidewalk. "Right, let me cut to the chase since it is late." Sona folded her arms with her eyes slightly narrowed.

"Wait a minute, Sona." Rias cut her friend off. "I think I should be able to ask a few questions first." The red-head earned a look from the bespectacled-girl. "Don't look at me like that! You seem to know more about Akira-kun than I do! It's not fair!"

"…You are actually serious." Sona rubbed her eyes. "Fine, I suppose now that the cat is out of the bag you may question him-"

"Are you really a Phantom Thief?!" Rias cut Sona off before she could finish her sentence. Leaning forward, the red-head forced the male to lean back in response to avoid their faces being close to one another.

"Yes." Akira answered. "Can you please lean back now? I have work tomorrow and I don't want to go in with an injured back."

Looking down, Rias then realized how close she was to Akira as she stepped back for the boy to stand back up straight. It took her a couple of seconds, but then she realized that he was being rather nonchalant about him revealing his secret. Not only that, but Sona didn't seem to be surprised. "You're rather… open about that secret. Wait, does Sona know about that as well?!"

"I did just announce who the others and I were back in the church. Not only that, but Sitri-san figured me out some time ago as well." The male pointed out which earned him a hum of understanding from the red-head. He looked over to Sona, who seemed to be giving him a look that said to finish the conversation soon. "I'll allow one more question." He immediately stated.

"Can you get me all of your autographs?" Rias asked eagerly.

…Okay… didn't see that coming. "I'll try to remember." Akira said, that seeming to satisfy Rias.

Hearing a cough, Sona had a fist up while her mouth was just above it. "If I may remind you all of the reason I called you both out for this." She finally managed to get their attention again. "Now, Akira-san, I expect the truth from you."

"Without question." Akira nodded.

"Good." Sona replied. "How did you get that gun?" She gestured to his chest. But what she really was pointing out was the gun that would be hidden in his jacket if he were wearing his Phantom Thief costume. "That pistol has the presence of Lucifer-sama and even some residue of his power. How is that possible?"

"With a Persona." Akira answered her question.

Sona frowned while Rias wore a confused expression. "With a Persona…" Sona trailed off. "…I thought your Persona was Arsene."

"He is." The black-haired male nodded his head in confirmation. "But who said that I had only one?"

The black-haired girl raised an eyebrow. "You have more than one Persona?" She asked. "From the explanation Rias told me from Morgana-san, I thought people can only have one Persona."

"I'm a special case." Was his reply. "And with…" Akira trailed off, thinking about if he should mention the Velvet Room or not. Nah, that would lead into another wide conversation that wouldn't be of any use except to satisfy curiosity. "Various methods, I used a Persona of Lucifer to create a gun from his very body and energy."

Sona opened her mouth, but then closed it shut. "That is perhaps the best, most simple yet complicated answer I think I'm going to get from you for the time being." The girl massaged her forehead to prevent a headache from incoming.

"But I have to ask," Rias voiced out. "Why did you have to keep yourselves a secret? I already revealed myself as a Devil to you before. But then you never said anything about me being a Phantom Thief."

"Gremory-san, no offense, you should use your head for a second." Akira raised a finger. "If I ever told you my real identity, there was a chance you would immediately ship me off to the police. While I've already had that issue with the officials already, it's a process I don't want to go through again."

"…I suppose that is something you wouldn't want to risk." Rias nodded in agreement.

"Not only that," Akira added. "But then there was also having no knowledge about your side of the coin. We kept ourselves secret because you kept on revealing your cards to me. While it could be a good strategy in some cases, it doesn't apply to many scenarios as information is leverage for situations."

Rias looked away. "Now you're just being mean." She sighed, placing her head against the palm of her hand. The three of them were silent once more. But it only lasted a couple of seconds before Rias spoke once more. "…Thank you for saving Issei-kun's friend." She slowly let out. "And… I'm sorry about those times we interacted with one another today. I was… just trying to keep my Peerage safe."

Akira released a small, reassuring smile. "Apology accepted. It is tough having to be the leader and having all the decisions fall onto you." He said. "So, does that mean that you want to go to the celebration party when the time arrives?"

His question made Rias huff in amusement. "Still on about that?" She giggled afterwards. "Of course. I look forward to meeting the rest of the Phantom Thieves. Bye, Akira-kun. See you at school."

With a wave, Rias disappeared with a flash of red.

Staring, Akira slowly looked over to Sona. "Was that teleporting necessary for her?" He asked the girl.

"It is a fast way to arrive to a location already set." Sona answered. Looking up and down the boy, she hummed. "Can you amuse me for a few moments? There's something I need to confirm at the moment."

Akira looked at his phone. Meh, it was getting close to dinner time but he could wait. "Sure." He nodded while placing the phone back into his pocket.

Sona closed her eyes and didn't open them. "I want you to try to move around and hide your presence." She didn't hear him move, probably because he was raising an eyebrow at the weird request or he was really moving quietly. But still, she stayed still for a few moments. "Stop." She ordered, thinking for a few seconds. But still, she had her face frown for a bit. "Over there." Pointing in a direction, she opened her eyes to see that she was indeed pointing at the boy.

"What are you doing?" Akira asked curiously, not wanting to be left in the blue.

"Testing a theory out." She answered. "Now put on your Phantom Thief clothing." Seeing a flash of blue and Akira in his outfit, she closed her eyes once more. "Now move around again." Once more, she focused on him moving around. A frown was etched on her features soon after as she sighed. "No, I cannot sense you." She shook her head as she opened her eyes, seeing that Akira hadn't even moved from his spot.

Akira tilted his head, blinking. "But you could sense me when I was in my normal clothing, correct?" He asked, earning a nod. "So that would mean that the Phantom Thief clothing hides my presence. Probably implies that is the same for everyone else."

"Not only that…" Sona said slowly with a thoughtful look, eyeing his chest. "I can't seem to sense that gun on your Persona with Lucifer-sama's aura. Do you mind pulling it out?" Watching Akira reach into his coat and pull his pistol out, she took a deep breath. "Right… Now put it in your pocket." Sona then waited for Akira to do as she was told.

"There's a bit sticking out." He noted.

"And I can only feel a bit of that power." Sona observed, tapping her chin. "It seems that I was correct in a sense. Your clothing even can mask the energy of those weapons and also to an extent when not in use. No wonder I could not feel much of a presence when Morgana-san kept that sword and item on his person."

Akira only looked down at himself. It kind of did make sense. Whenever exploring Mementos or even Palaces the Shadows would flat-out ignore or not see them when they were close by. "Useful to know." Akira commented to himself.

"You're welcome." Sona felt her glasses slipping down due to moving her face around a lot so she had to readjust them. "You said that your pistol was created from a… Persona Lucifer? It makes me curious… are all of the weapons that the others use from other Personas?"

"That is correct." Akira nodded his head.

"…" Sona stayed silent, staring at Akira as she began to think. "So you have not only made bombs, but also a variety of weapons…" She trailed off. "You must have had to prepare for many things as a Phantom Thief."

"Sort of a part of the job description." Akira shrugged his shoulders. "Especially when it came down to exploring the Metaverse."

"Hmm…" Sona hummed. "You are just becoming a much more curious case… or a massive incoming headache with one surprise after another."

"You have no idea." He shook his head as he looked back at his phone to see that it was about an hour past dinner. Oh well, he will just have to go out to eat. If that's the case… "It's kind of late. Want to grab something to eat with me?"

The student council president raised an eyebrow at the question. "That is something rather out of the blue." She said. "But I suppose it is an act of goodwill from you. I accept your invitation."

"Speaking of invites, still thinking about coming along for the celebration we're going to have?" Akira asked as he gestured the girl to follow him down the streets while changing back to his school uniform.

"Depends on the date when the event is happening." Sona answered as they continued along the sidewalk.

With conversations between, the night was filled with pleasant interactions.

 **TakeABreak**

It was a bit late when Akira had made it back home.

Checking his phone, he saw the numerous amounts of texts that he had received. Wow… he had missed a lot of them. Talking with Sona must have occupied much more of his attention than he had anticipated. He had to remember to apologize as he saw lights on in the girls' apartment.

Knocking softly on the door, the barrier was soon opened up to see Haru answering it. "Ah, Akira-chan." The heiress smiled to the black-haired boy. "You're back."

"Yeah… Sorry about not answering any of you guys." He held up his phone just in case they didn't know what he was talking about. "Speaking with Sitri-san was a lot longer than anticipated. Can I come in?" He peeked inside.

"Of course." Haru nodded as she stepped out of the way for the boy to move in. "Everyone else is here as well." She placed a finger to her lips. "You may want to be a bit quiet as well. Asia-chan is still resting."

"She must have been quite exhausted with the attempt of her Sacred Gearing almost being removed." Akira stepped past Haru as he entered the apartment to see everyone gathered around the couch where Asia was sleeping on. There was even a pillow and blanket for the girl as she was sleeping peacefully.

"Ah, you're back." Yusuke commented as he looked up to see Akira arriving.

"Where were you?" Ann asked. "I hear that Sitri-san can have conversations go on for a bit but that seems a bit ridiculous if she kept talking for that long."

"Not really." Akira shook his head. "She just had to ask a couple of questions as well as confirm something that is great benefit for all of us. Then we both realized it was late when she finished and then we both went out to eat."

"Is that so?" Yusuke asked, looking up and down at Akira. "If you say that thing she was on about is beneficial to us, then I shall believe you."

"Come on, when has our leader ever failed us?" Ryuji commented, placing his arms behind his head in a bit of a way to relax. "But dude, no wonder you didn't answer our texts. You were out on a date with the student council president!"

"Shhh!" Ann shushed the blonde male in a quiet yet harsh manner. "You're going to wake Asia-chan up!" Her hisses fortunately didn't wake the former-nun up as all the person lying down did was mumble a bit. "I'm pretty sure that it was just meant that they're good friends already and had a few things to talk about as well."

"There were some things indeed." Akira nodded his head in confirmation. "Although you could also say it was technically a date without her knowledge… or she didn't acknowledge it as such."

"Hah! Told you!" Ryuji commented being cuffed on the back of the head.

"Shut up!" Ann whispered.

Makoto sighed. "I'm honestly surprised to see is up and about considering the amount of action we had gone through just now." She said.

"That fight was more of a nuisance rather than a tough battle." Morgana stated as he stared at Asia from the table. "That exorcist jerk was taken out from a single Agidyne while the Fallen Angel I faced wasn't that strong but more durable than the average Shadow."

"Akira and I meanwhile had to struggle against two of the Fallen Angels who would be considered the strongest out of their group while their wounds would constantly be healed." Makoto noted. "But as Morgana said, they weren't that bad."

"From what we can tell though, they are merely nothing more than grunts." Futaba commented. "Remember that there is still the leader and we don't even know how strong they are."

"Aww come on, we made a point that we aren't going to just attack them." Ann waved her hand. "I'm sure that they won't take offense to that."

"But dude, I heard you made some kind of epic speech just before you took all of those Fallen Angels out with an all-out attack." Ryuji brought up.

Yusuke seemed to chuckle. "Considering how you must have come up with that on the spot is impressive. Not only that, but it was certainly a way to let our place be known within tier community now that we're choosing to reveal ourselves."

"You should have heard it in person." Futaba held her fists up in excitement. "He was all like…" And then she began to make her own silent impressions while striking all sorts of poses while everyone watched her and chuckled or giggled at her antics.

"But yes, we are indeed going to be big considering how the Phantom Thieves were known throughout the world. If news of us coming back up reaches the Fallen Angels, who knows how much farther it will go." Yusuke began to wonder.

"Then we just have to get ready for the oncoming battles!" Ryuji remembered to whisper at the last moment to not be scolded again.

"But that makes me think that we ourselves will need our Personas." Haru spoke out from the side. "Only Ryuji-kun, Yusuke-kun, and even I need the opportunity to unlock our Personas. But…" She trailed off, unsure if she should finish her sentence or not. "…That would mean that we're putting ourselves in danger if we do. I really don't want any of us to be hurt."

"Hey, that's when we choose to leg it." Ryuji answered. "It's okay to be scared or what not to do. It just gives us another opportunity to come back with more confidence or time to think about what to do." He gently patted Haru on the back. "Just know that when times are tough… there's still us to support you."

"…That last sentence was completely out of the blue. But still a nice bit of speech from you, Ryuji." Ann gave her own opinion, getting a small grumble from the male-blonde who still smiled a bit in return.

It then hit Akira. "Oh right… Gremory-san wants our autographs."

With that reveal of information, everyone turned to look at the leader of the Phantom Thieves. Ryuji, Ann, and Futba all had their eyebrows raised. Yusuke had a curious stare. Haru had her mouth open, thinking about something to say. Makoto had a blank look.

Morgana meanwhile blinked. "I guess that means she's a fan. Huh… go figure."

 **TakeABreak**

"Can I have your autographs as well?!"

Just as Akira had handed the paper over to Rias with all of their signatures on it, he heard the voice. Ignoring the excited look on the red-head's face, Akira just settled for looking at Issei who looked pretty eager as well.

"Oh wait, even better! Can I have individual photos of you guys and have them signed?! Ann-senpai looks really good in that skin-tight suit of hers!" The brunette even added.

"…That's going to be up to Ann if that's the case." Akira said.

"…Damn."

 **TakeABreak**

"Guys, this is supposed to be our apartment, right?"

Ryuji looked over to see everyone else just standing in front of the property that was supposed to be the building that they were living in. Even Asia was among them since she had no place to go and Ann offered the fellow blonde-girl to stay with them for the time being. Everyone else seemed to be staring at the massive building as well as Ryuji simply turned back to look at what they were seeing.

The building was big… still as big as the building that held all of their apartments. But then there was only one door among the entire building on the outside. The color was re-done, the paint-job given to the building being a combination of black and red. Windows lined the outside in a neat and orderly fashion. But then… there was an actual garden was laid out at the front around a green lawn.

Slowly walking along the walkway that led them to the entrance, they kept on giving each other weird looks. "Maybe the owner had some renovations done?" Ann asked in an unsure tone.

"I doubt a job like that for an entire building could be done within the span of school hours." Makoto confirmed.

Arriving to the front of the door, Akira looked down to the knob and saw that there were a couple of keyholes. He then realized that they were locked out at the moment since the keys may have been changed with the building. Eyeing a doorbell along the frame, Akira looked back to everyone who seemed to be having curious yet cautious looks of their own.

The leader of the Phantom Thieves then rang the doorbell.

A few seconds passed before a tall man answered the door. His build was actually average with hair that was black but then gold was the color of his bangs. His real hair color though was confirmed with the sight of the black goatee. He wore a large, red-purple jacket with the collar turned up with four straps wrapped around each arm near his shoulder then wrists and two around his stomach and waist. His pants were dark grey with two straps on both legs around his ankles with brown dress-shoes.

"Ah, hello there!" The man greeted with a friendly smile. "So you must be the Phantom Thieves. Dohanaseek told me about you guys and what my subordinates had done to you as well. So I worked on your apartment as an apology." He shrugged. "Well, more like house now since it's all yours. Let me tell you, paying off, organizing places for the people to move, and finish this entire place within a span of 6 hours was really tough. But, if I may brag, this is probably one of my proudest achievements yet! Oh, I haven't even introduced myself yet! The name's Azazel, leader of the Grigori. Come on in, makes yourselves at home! Especially since it's yours to begin with."

"…" Akira slowly looked over to his friends who were also staring at this new Azazel character with surprise. Within a flash of blue flames, he was in his Phantom Thief costume while holding Paradise Lost up. "You guys want me to stick him?"

 **Not the greatest chapter, but there were a couple of things as I re-read my chapters and made me think a bit and had to talk about an issue I thought about and that may come into effect later in the future.**

 **COMPLETELY UNRELATED NOTE… Blazblue Cross Tag Battle! Blazblue x Persona x UnderNightInBirth x RWBY! I am not sure if I liked the Blazblue part… it's a fun game and all but some of the characters just get to me while I love others (Might be from the fact that some moves and people are broken and ASW pretty much just ignores the game after they release it). CHECK OUT THE TRALIER ANYWAYS! It's the PersonaxRWBY crossover we've all MAYBE been looking for in reality! I'm just going to pretend everyone else in that franchise are just OCs.**

 **Hope they throw in P5 characters for the fun of it. But it looks like they're just going to reuse character sprites and animation for the entire game so far…**

 **No flames please.**


	12. Chapter 12

**I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.**

All of the Phantom Thieves and their guest had expected a calm afternoon. Each of them already having their own plans in mind for the rest of the day without anything to distract them.

But the people sitting in front of them… slightly deviated from that kind of atmosphere. But at least they did not make things very chaotic. Aside from the breaking and entering, ignoring the needs of government issues when it came down to reconstruction of their building, and forcing all of the former residents to move out to better areas while paying them off, it wasn't that bad.

"Never expected to see you all so soon… and with your leader to boot as well it seems. As well as… a companion of his." Akira noted the six figures around the couch opposite of the couch he occupied himself in what he could call the… meeting and or lobby area of this new building.

The leader of the Grigori had himself seated on the couch in the center. Dohnaseek was there as well, sitting to the left of the leader of the Fallen Angels. Raynare, Kalawarner, and Mittelt were all standing behind the couch, having looks that refused to make eye contact with the Phantom Thieves occupying the space at the moment.

There was a completely new person though that none of them were aware of or even knew. He was introduced as Vali and was considered… pretty handsome Akira had to admit (he couldn't believe he had to mentally say that). The young man had dark silver hair and light blue eyes. He wore a dark green V-neck shirt with a high-collared black leather jacket over it. The man also wore burgundy jeans with a silver chain drooping down over them and black leather chaps with three bands encircling his right calf and black shoes with black buckles.

"Throw in the fact that you," Makoto looked over to Azazel who was just sitting casually with his back against the support of the couch. "Also changed our apartments into… a mansion." She was nearly at a loss for words when it came down to those final bits. "Although I feel like I should thank you, there is still the issue about an invasion of our privacy and property."

"Oh come now," Azazel waved his hand dismissively. "You managed to stop a few of my Fallen Angels from committing a war as well as sparing them. I had to owe you all back somehow. Plus, there was also the fact that they had gone against orders." He looked over to the three standing and the female fallen continued to look away with ashamed looks.

"That can't be the only reason why you are here." Morgana stated, getting comfortable in Futaba's lap. "You would have most likely simply turned this place into a better condo rather than an entire mansion for just the eight of us."

"He's got a point." Ryuji noted, sitting on the arm of the couch most of the Phantom Thieves occupied. "You could have just done what you needed to do, say some stuff, and leave. But you're just lounging around the place. What's up with that?"

"Well, I just wanted to meet the very Phantom Thieves of Hearts live and in person." Azazel admitted, looking at each and every present one with an observant look in his eyes. "I certainly wouldn't have expected them to be a bunch of humans though with all that kind of news about the changes in people hearts. Even that prime minister guy was included."

As the talking continued, Ann kept a bit quiet as she stared at the three Fallen Angels that had harmed Asia. Looking over to her fellow blonde, she tapped the shorter girl's shoulder and got her attention quietly. "Hey, are you okay?" Ann asked.

"Hmm?" Asia asked, looking up to the Phantom Thief. Seeing Ann gesture over to the three Fallen, the girl was quiet for a couple of seconds. A few emotions ran through her face, but then she settled for a gentle smile. "Yes. It looks like they have learned their lesson, so there is no need to be so angry at them. Plus, you are all here as well to keep me safe."

Ann stared for a bit before chuckling and patting Asia's head.

"Hey, Yuske, everything okay, man?" Ryuji turned over towards the blue-haired character who was just staring at Azazel. "You're really quiet right now."

The boy didn't answer the blonde's question. Instead, he brought out a small notepad and pencil to move his fingers around quickly. "I was just making a mental comparison to Azazel-san in front of us as well as… another familiar figure." He said as he brought out an image he had just drawn up.

"…" Akira snorted after a short pause due to the picture Yusuke had drawn.

"Is that Azazel with…" Ryuji trailed off due to doing his best to stifle his laughter.

"Yes, with Sensei's facial hair. Quite an amusing sight don't you agree?" Yuskue chuckled.

Ann meanwhile was giggling. "Can you imagine what he would be like in that make-up as well?"

"Is everyone enjoying themselves?"

Everyone looked up and saw Haru carrying a rather large tray that everyone from Tokyo knew they never had before carrying several cups filled with a steaming liquid and other precious bits made of fine ceramic. "I've made coffee for everyone. I know how all of you like it," She nodded over to her friends before looking over to the Fallen company. "However I do not know your own preferences so that's why I left some sugar and milk on the side."

"You need some help with that, Haru?" Ryuji asked as the heiress was still carrying the tray but began setting it down gently.

"No need to worry, Ryuji-kun." Haru shook her head as she began grabbing cup for each of their guests. "This is for Azazel-san… Could you pass these over to Mittelt-chan, Kalawarner-san, and Raynare-san? Thank you, Dohnaseek-san. Here's yours as well." She passed over the cups to the following before she gently offered one to one of the silent figures of the group, Vali. "Would you like some coffee as well, Vali-kun?"

The young man raised an eyebrow at the offer and honorific that was used but silently took the cup. Perhaps in a moment of showing good manners. Sipping the liquid, he silently hummed. It was pretty good he had to admit. There was a complexity to the flavor but enough to satisfy greatly and not leave a bad taste in the mouth.

Staring at his reflection in the liquid for a second, he noticed someone else in the liquid. Looking up, he saw Haru with a frown on her face. "You seem… a bit grumpy, Vali-kun. Is everything okay?" She asked.

He blinked before shaking his head. "No." Vali stated. "I was just thinking about how good the coffee was." He couldn't see it due to eye contact with the girl, but Vali knew that Azazel was wearing a shit-eating grin at the moment.

A look of relief washed over Haru as she began to walk back next to her friends. Vali took a sip of his coffee again but tilted his head down to drink the liquid. Doing so managed to get him to eye the heiress' butt. It caused him to pause mid-sip as he watched Haru moved around. "Hmm…" He unconsciously let out a verbal hum as he stared at her bottom until she turned around. He then turned his attention back to the coffee.

Akira seemed to be the only one to notice this as he was giving Vali a weird look.

"All that aside though," Azazel seemed to bring the atmosphere to the meeting as everyone had a cup of coffee in their hand or on the table. "The main reason I'm also here is because of your Personas."

There it was. The ball dropper. The one sentence to make everyone go silent in shock or realization. Honestly though, they should have seen it coming. Their Personas were indeed the main reason to why the Phantom Thieves would be the point of interest after all. "What about them?" Akira asked curiously.

Azazel chuckled, bringing his fingers up. "Arsene…" He looked over to Akira. "Zorro…" The man eyed Morgana in Futaba's lap. "Necronomicon…" He looked up to the orange-haired girl. "Carmen…" Eyes drifted to Ann. "Finally, Johanna…" The man looked at the brunette as he counted them out before placing his hands down. "Did Kalawarner tell you something about Johanna being a legend?"

"Yes, she did." Makoto nodded her head in response to the question, slightly confused to the situation at the moment. "She mentioned some stuff about how Johanna was a great figure in the Fallen Angel community before retreating to aid Raynare-san. But they're supposed to be nothing more than stories."

"Legends have to start somewhere right?" Azazel only smiled in response, leaving his sentence at that.

All of the Phantom Thieves looked at each other as they thought about what the leader had meant. "Wait a minute…" Ann was the first to react. "Are you telling us that Johanna was an actual person?!"

"That's right." The leader of the Fallen Angels nodded his head, getting a shocked looked from Kalawarner and surprise from everyone else.

"But… those are supposed to be legends… myths… fantasies!" Kalawarner protested.

"Again, legends have to start somewhere." Azazel held his hands up to calm the situation down. "However, there are a couple more issues I still have to go over." He dug into his jacket and pulled out a few books. Tossing them onto the table, he gestured. "Take a look at them."

Every one of the humans looked at each other before grabbing the books that were spaced out for them. Each of them went for a specific book though. "Arsene Lupin…?" Akira asked as he eyed the book and opened the pages. "…This was made a long time ago." He noted the date it was first published.

"This book about Zorro is also pretty old." Morgana stated. "But this book looks like it's in perfect condition."

"Same goes for this book about Carmen." Ann added, looking over the literature.

"Necornomicon is here as well!" Futaba threw in her own thoughts.

"I think that's the case for all of us." Makoto stated, looking over the book that was in her hand. Putting down the object she stared. "What is the purpose of these?"

"You are staring at the very original copies of those books. Those are the first records of the famous tales of your Personas." Azazel revealed. "Those books never existed before until they appeared."

Throughout the entire conversation, Vali was pretty silent. But this made his wonder actually. "And what makes you say that?" He asked.

"I have to agree with Vali-san in this case. Just how do you know in the first place?" Dohnaseek asked.

Azazel shrugged. "Because I've met them personally. They even left those behind as their last bit of evidence they had ever existed."

"What?!"

Ryuji's question was vocalized pretty loudly as the others but Akira and Vali both didn't really react at all. The male blonde even stood up with shock. "How the hell is that possible?!" He added as well.

As Azazel winced a bit at the volume, he picked at his ear a bit. "My memories of them are a bit hazy, but I am positive that I've met them. Arsene was a pretty big surprise since he first showed up when I was still a part of Heaven. Zorro was rogue, helping those in need like the books say. Necronomicon was indeed an object filled with knowledge that was meant to stay unknown. Carmen was a mischievous character, certainly one of the reasons to why I fell from Heaven to begin with due to loving her breasts."

Ann pulled Asia closer to her protectively while covering her own chest.

"Johanna was there as well, helping those who had fallen get back up on their feet and continue to live without the heavy despair of being casted out of Heaven shadowing them." Azazel finished, almost having a nostalgic look on his face. "Either way, it is absolutely fascinating that such characters of history are your Personas." He tapped his head. "I am curious about them though. Would you mind if you would partake in some exercises I would devise?"

"So you want to experiment on us." Akira found himself on guard just in case.

The Fallen Angel shook his head in response. "Dear God no! I'm not heartless or cruel at all! Well… I want to run experiments with you, yes. But not in a way that you think. It's just some simple exercises and power testing. The concept of a Persona fascinates me, and it makes me wonder just how vast the summoning can be and what abilities can be used."

"…That sounds a little… suspicious still." Yusuke commented, keeping a studying eye on Azazel.

"Relax, I mean for the best." Azazel stood up straight. "Of course there is the option of refusing if you'd like. But I could even grant you all a few favors if you do accept." He dug into his jacket again and pullet out a few sheets of paper held together by a staple. "Here, I even made a contract for you guys."

Akira raised an eyebrow but then took the sheets and began to look over them. All of the other Phantom Thieves peek over as well. "You actually made a contract?" The leader asked.

"I'm the guy with the big, ominous, slightly loopy organization. You're all people with interesting, nearly secret power with historical figures." Azazel shrugged. "If I want your help, there has to be some form of compensation. Think of it as an act of good will for a foundation of trust to be built upon."

"…Paid vacation? That's… something I wouldn't expect from an offer like this." Ryuji commented.

"…We're getting paid a lot of money if we say yes." Ann added.

"I doubt bodyguards would be necessary however." Yusuke voiced his own opinion.

"Water and electric bills being paid though would be nice. We don't know how much energy this place uses." Futaba observed.

"…Any supplies needed but still need to pay respectful amounts?" Morgana questioned.

"… Raynare-san, Kalawarner-san, and Mittelt-san will have to be this residence's maids?" Makoto asked.

"What?!" The three female Fallen Angels cried out.

"…Vali-kun would have to live with us as well?" Haru asked with confusion.

"What?!" The young man lunged forward to grab the contract before skimming the paper furiously before coming up to the point that mentioned him. "Azazel, what is this?!" For the cool look he gave off, his current attitude was betraying his image.

"Come on, Vali-chan, you've been locking yourself in your room for hours and even refuse to come out!" The leader of the Fallen Angels commented. "You need to get out more often, interact with more people. And I figured that you would maybe get along with the that managed to grab your attention for about a week!" Vali groaned but it was completely ignored by Azazel as the Fallen Angel turned to the three females. "As for you three, think of it as punishment for going behind my back and creating your own business that was extremely uncalled for."

"But-!"

"You were all meant to observe and report the movements and actions of the host of the Red Dragon Emperor." Azazel cut Raynare's protest off as Vali still looked mad but had a look of interest in his eye. "But you instead chose to kill the boy and attempt to take Asia Argento's Sacred Gear for yourself when you were supposed to safely transport her back to headquarters after the incident with her." His eyes slightly narrowed as he didn't even bother looking at the Fallen Angel that was victim to the subject.

"As for you Kalawarner and Mittelt," The next two females stiffened at their names. "Rather than report this, you tag along for the ride while aiding Raynare with such schemes." Azazel added.

"What about Dohnaseek!? He's as guilty as we are!" Mittelt pointed out.

"While that is true, he truly reflected upon his actions as his punishment has already been dealt with accordingly." The leader placed a hand over his fist in a patient manner but still cracked his knuckles to show his partially true attitude to the atmosphere. "You three on the other hand have yet to learn your lessons. So you are going to wait for your future to be decided by the Phantom Thieves of Hearts."

"I'm sorry, but can we just talk about you forcing me to move in here if they do accept this contract?!" Vali tried to get the attention back to him.

"…We'll sit on it." Akira answered as everyone else seemed to nod in agreement, completely ignoring Vali.

"Good to hear." Azazel nodded his head. Taking out a pen, he wrote some numbers and words on the back of the contract that he snatched out of Vali's hands before handing it over to Akira. "This is my number and address. If you have any questions about the contract or anything else, just give me a call. Hey, even give me a call if you're just bored. We can talk about anything."

With those final words, he gestured for everyone to follow him out of the door to leave the Phantom Thieves to themselves. All of the humans cand cat watched as four out of the six leaving had disbelief on their faces. As soon as they were off the property, Azazel turned to Vali. "So they seem to be nice company, huh?"

"I'm not speaking to you right now." Vali grumbled. "Especially if you are going to make stupid decisions like that."

"Aww, cheer up, Vali-chan." The leader patted the back of the young man. "They may not end up accepting the contract. But if they do, look on the bright side. At least you get to stare at that girl and drink her coffee everyday. You also get to stare at her butt all you'd like."

Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, Vali slowly craned his head over in Azazel's direction. The young man suppressed the twitch of an eye as he took a deep breath to keep himself in check. "I would do no such thing." He stated.

Azazel chuckled. "Of course. Just remember that her eyes are above the waist."

 **TakeABreak**

"Well, you are at school early."

Akira heard Sona make this observation as he looked over towards the student council president staring at him leaning against one of the walls that helped support the school. "We're had to arrive early to hand in the registration forms meant for Asia-san so she could transfer to this school." He answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

"I see." Sona nodded her head, satisfied with the answer she received.

"And also needed some extra time to think about the contract that the leader of the Fallen Angels offered to us." Akira added.

Sona continued to nod her head for a few more seconds. It then immediately clicked in her head what Akira had just said. "Wait a moment. So correct me if I am wrong." She said with a looked that requested an explanation. "The leader of the Fallen Angels, Azazel, visited you yesterday."

"Also reconstructed where we live." Akira added.

"…And he offered you a contract of sorts…" Sona continued, ignoring that quip Akira had thrown in. A hard stare was met as she turned around and gestured for the boy to follow her. Their journey was short as it was the student council room that was the destination. "Sit." She ordered as Akira noticed the interior was now different with a table and couches in the center. Maybe they changed the interior every so often depending on the situation. She soon sat across the boy. "Can I see that contract if you have it on you?" She held her hand out.

Akira thought about it. He may have looked over it himself, but Sona seemed to be much more experienced when it came down to this kind of paper work. Even though Makoto also looked over the contract, it left Akira to wonder if there were any kinds of laws or rules that differ from humanity to supernatural.

"Morgana, could you shift around a bit?" Akira asked the cat, getting the feline to poke his head out and moved around as Akira dug into his bag.

"What makes you curious about this contract of ours?" Morgana asked Sona as Akira fished the papers out and passed them over to the student council president.

"Just what kind of offers are being made." Sona said as her eyes began to skim the words in front of her glasses. "I could easily tell that the deals Rias and I offered were extremely basic, simply offering the chances of power, reduced aging, etcetera. But reading this contract may help me broaden my horizon of choices to offer."

"…You really are determined to be a good leader, huh?" Akira noted, getting a short nod from Sona before she remained completely focused on the task at hand. "…What drives you though? Why do you want your identity to be known as the one you desire in the future?"

"…" Sona stayed silent, either ignoring the question or didn't hear it at all. Akira didn't press on but he couldn't help but mentally frown at the silence he was given. "This is quite the offer." Sona murmured. "Azazel signed this himself. What did you do to impress him to make such offers?"

"Apparently out Personas are actual historical figures that were related to supernatural events." Akira answered straightly.

Her eyes were on the paper at first, but then she slowly brought her head up with a surprised look. "Azazel said that? The leader of the Fallen Angels makes such a claim?" She paused for a moment while looking away in thought. "He may be right though… He was the first to fall after all… Back to the contract though. This is certainly a deal that pretty much has no way on inflicting harm upon you, unless injuries appear. A couple of warnings include broken bones, concussions and… urinary track disorders?"

"Trust me, I have no idea how that would happen either." Akira shook his head.

"And yet you do not sound worried in the slightest." Sona commented.

Morgana kept his head out of the bag, looking between Sona and Akira. If the cat had to comment, he saw this scene a little bit too much in his opinion as the two would be discussing many tactics and many deals regarding serious business. Sure there was the occasional casual conversation once in a while, but that was pretty much it.

"So, what are your thoughts on this, Sitri-san?" Morgana asked, shifting around in the bag to bring everyone back on track.

"I'm just wondering what kind of things must be done for broken bones, concussions and urinary track disorders to be parts of a warning list." Sona commented.

"He wants to test our abilities out. See what can be discovered about them. I'm not sure what for though now that I think about it." The Trickster said to himself.

Sona however kept reading the contract and looked at a certain point. "Any supplies needed at a respectful price?" She asked, looked back up. "…Was it specified what kind of supplies are needed to be purchased?"

"After a call, he said pretty much anything." Morgana answered. "Perfect for us since we've run out of supplies to make out combat tools with." He then tilted his head. "What makes you ask that?"

"While I am concerned with you perhaps accepting this deal that has been offered to you, this may benefit both you and I." Sona noted, getting a look from Akira and Morgana. "Those Megido bombs… they would be a very useful asset when used against stray Devils or other occasions. As well as… perhaps a few other creations that are available."

Both the human and cat just stared at Sona. The words she spoke began to slowly come to terms in their brains. "…So let me get this straight…" Morgana started, processing the message behind the Devil's words. "You want us… to make you explosives… The very objects that you seemed to not be happy about when we first revealed them to you."

"Morgana has a point." Akira pointed out.

"Yes, the thought about you making explosives was a mixture of emotions." Sona pinched the bridge of her nose in memory to her first reaction of seeing the bombs in action. "But I at least can accept that now, after thinking for a bit, that you don't use them out side of your purpose. So if you do sign the contract that Azazel had created, just let me know so I will be able to place an order."

"I'm not a good shop person but I'll let you know." Akira nodded his head, getting Moragna to whip his head over in the human's direction but didn't say anything. "So, judging by your words, I should accept the contract."

"As long as you keep yourself safe. While I am not exactly pleased to see that you are considering Fallen Angel offers, I am at least satisfied that you gave me the opportunity and trust to show me such." Sona folded her arms after handing the contract back. "Although there is the concern about four other people living with you, Raynare, Kalawarner, Mittelt, and this Vali character."

"I could say the same, so I'll just see if I can end up refusing that one part of the contract." The human commented, stuffing the papers back into his bag. Looking up at the clock, he looked back at Sona. "Looks like class is about to start. Thank you for taking your time to look over the agreement."

"Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you about the issue." Sona stated, watching the boy stand up and walk. But before he opened the door, the girl raised and eyebrow as he turned around.

"Oh right, we figured out what we're going to do for our celebration and what date it is."

 **TakeABreak**

It took a week…

An entire week to be able to map out the entire house. Really… the extent to how large the building was it could be described nearly as a maze. They ended up losing Ryuji for nearly half a day within the walls of their mansion. Within their search for the male blonde, they has discovered a pool, a library, an observatory, a kitchen, their respective bedrooms, and few bathrooms… and something that looked like a combination between a prison and torture chamber of all places. There were other rooms as well, but the idea was pretty much understood.

At the entrance as well as various walls of the structure, there had to be maps that showed where the person would be currently and directions to navigate through the place.

Due to being too busy with navigation and school as well as their everyday lives, Akira never had the chance to contact Azazel about the contract. But honestly, Akira was in no rush at the moment. Plus, just thinking about Raynare, Kalawarner, and Mittelt all squirming made him chuckle.

The kitchens meanwhile were busy with all of the Phantom Thieves running around and cooking a massive feast. Akira was mainly on the stove with Makoto, Haru, and Asia as they were in charge of cooking the actual food. Yusuke, Ann, and Ryuji were preparing the delicacies by chopping meat and vegetables into appropriate sizes. Futaba and Morgana on the other hand were busy calling out directions when the respectable character would say that their current activity would be done.

The sound of a doorbell ringing echoed through their ears as Futaba hopped up off her chair. "I'll get it!" She called out as she rushed to the door and peeked through the eyehole. Grabbing the knob, she pulled open the barrier. "You're all here! Come on in!"

Rias' Peerage all accepted the offer as each of them stepped into the housing with each of them carrying some form of prepared, ready-to-eat food. "Are we late for the celebratory potluck?" Rias asked.

"Oh no, you guys are actually here early." Futaba stated eyeing all of their food with an intense, critical stare. She then stopped at Koneko. "What did you bring?" She asked the shorter female.

"…Fish." Koneko stated.

"…For some reason that seems incredibly both appropriate yet inappropriate at the same time." Futaba commented but still stood up. "Follow me to the dining room unless you want to get lost."

Issei was carrying was looked like a large plate piled with a few steaks as he noticed the large sheet of paper that was the map to the place. "And like that, I completely believe what you're saying." He commented as he looked at the aid. "Seriously, how the hell did you guys end up with a huge place like this?!"

"That's for dinner conversation. Now hurry up, the others will be ready soon!" Futaba jumped a couple of times before leading the way.

"This place is certainly grand. How fitting for the Phantom Thieves." Akeno admired the interior decorating.

"Akeno's right." Kiba had to agree as there was a big bowl of salad on his person. "There is a charming atmosphere this place gives off."

"Really? I couldn't tell." Futaba shrugged her shoulders as she stepped into another room. "And here we are! The dining room! Just put your food down and wait for the others!"

"Well they don't need to wait long." Haru commented as she came walking to the table with a smile and a platter of raw vegetables. Putting it down, she looked at everyone. "We're just finishing up before we can all get together to eat. So while waiting, help yourself to some vegetables. I grew them from the greenhouse in the Kuoh garden."

Curiously, the Occult Research club each took a piece and nibble on the bit in front of them. "Mm, this is impressive from just the raw vegetable alone." Rias nodded, definitely impressed with the taste.

"I'm glad you like it." Haru giggled as each of their reactions were pretty good in her opinion. Once again, the door bell rang. "Oh, could that be Sitri-san with her own Peerage?"

"I got it." Akira said as he swiftly passed through the group while placing a pot full of soup onto the table before walking out of the room.

Hearing an amused sigh, everyone in the dining room turned to see the rest of the humans and cat walk in with their own meals for everyone for the potluck and set them down. "It's nice to see that we're all together, just about to eat and talk." Ann commented. "So, Issei, what did you bring?"

"Ah, just some steaks…" The brunette answered before looking a bit sheepish. "Though I just helped season it and all since my mom did most of the cooking."

"It's okay, Issei." Asia smiled gently. "I'm sure that it will taste good with the effort you helped put into it."

"Asia-chan is right." Haru added. "Seasoning is an important part of cooking after all. So if we find it delicious, you should know that you played a big role in its taste, I-kun."

The brunette stared at Haru for a couple of seconds before blushing a bit. "I-kun…" He mumbled. "No one's ever called me that before…"

"How about I-cchi?" Futaba asked from the side, grabbing the attention while sitting down, poking one of Koneko's cheeks. "You know… because he's part of the Perverted Trio."

"…Agreed." Koneko nodded while poking Futaba back.

"Aww, come on guys." Ryuji said, patting Issei's back to console the boy who was the target for attention whether it be good or bad. "I'm pretty sure you're all embarrassing him right now. No need to bully him at the moment."

"Then let's talk about you, Ryuji." Ann commented.

"Ara ara, what to say about Ryuji-kun." Akeno mischievously said, seeming to go with the flow of Ann comment.

"He's certainly a hard-headed individual." Yusuke stated.

"Wait, what?!" The blonde male exclaimed. "Not cool, man!"

"Looks like you all are enjoying yourselves." Sona stated as she began walking into the room followed by her Peerage as Akira was leading them. "You're right, we did arrive just on time."

"Put your food on the table and let's each find a spot to sit." Akira suggested as that's what everyone did.

Pulling up chairs to sit down, everyone found their own spots as they got comfortable. With glasses of their choice of drink at the ready, Akira soon stood up. "Before we eat, let me just say this." Everyone fell silent, waiting for the leader of the Phantom Thieves to speak. Clearing his throat, he soon spoke. "Screw long speeches! Here's to our future and the friendship that will come!"

"Cheers!" Everyone said with a smile, some being much louder than others.

That night was filled with laughter, amusement, and a good time they would never forget that brought them all closer.

 **Yeah, I think I just dug myself a bit of a grave with that bit about Vali living with the Phantom Thieves as well as Raynare, Kalawarner, and Mittelt being maids. In the middle of writing this chapter though, I realized it was completely stupid and a bad idea maybe. So I won't be doing it actually now that I think about it mid typing in this little paragraph.**

 **Well… next chapter let's put in-**

 **Ah! Just cut myself off from spoiling you the next chapter about-**

 **Oh! I almost did it again.**

 **I know this chapter was terrible, didn't go anywhere, and the story is getting a bit worse, but trust me… I hope I can just get those bonding and introduction bit out of the way eventually and move onto some more stuff you all may like…**

 **If you all can tell, there was a bit of inspiration from 'King of the fake World' in this chapter. I hope my ass isn't on the grinder for this.**

 **No flames please.**


	13. Chapter 13

**I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.**

Akira blinked the sleep out of his eyes as he felt stiff and something on his chest.

Groaning, he attempted to move but the weight was planted firmly and didn't want to move. Closing his eyes with a slightly irritated sigh. That was when it all began to rush back to him.

No, he did not drink any sort of alcohol during the celebration. None of them were even at the legal drinking age anyways. But that still didn't help the fact that he felt a bit of a combination between groggy and dizzy. He wondered how in the world he had those effects on him right now considering all he knew was that he had a lack of sleep.

Resting his head on the arm of the couch he was resting on, he craned his skull around to try and get a better look of his surroundings. Somehow, many people had moved from the dining room to the lounging slash lobby area. The place was littered with the prone forms of everyone sitting on chairs, on the floor with blankets and pillows covering and supporting them, some just sprawled out on the table as well.

Hearing another groan, he couldn't help but wince as Sona used his stomach to support her hand that was pushing her upwards as she began to wake up. Rubbing her eyes that were behind her glasses, she saw that she had been using Akira as a pillow as she frowned. "Uggh…" She groaned. She then looked over at Akira and around her with a frown before sighing. "So all of that wasn't a dream. Such a ridiculous thing did happen."

The black-haired boy opened his mouth, but then heard movement. Watching the floor, one body managed to come to life as Issei was the one getting up shakily. "What happened?" Issei moaned while rubbing his head to rid himself of a headache.

"The big bang, dinosaurs, bipeds, and an amounting sense of futility." Akira deadpanned.

"Well… More recently," Sona winced as he looked around. "We all moved over to the lounging area since we finished eating. Ryuji-san was complementing you, Issei-san, but then smacked you back a little too hard on the back. That sent you stumbling to Futaba-san. You used your hands to try and stop, but then ended up grabbing Futaba-san's breasts. Koneko-san then punched Issei-san hard which caused Ann-san, Yusuke-san, Ryuji-san, Kiba-san, Asia-san, and several other of my Peerage members to be knocked down unconscious along with me. You then ended up groping Akeno-san and Rias' breasts and…"

Issei fainted soon with a bit of blood coming out of his nose.

"… That happened." Sona finished.

 **TakeABreak**

No sun could be seen behind the grey veil of clouds that polluted the afternoon sky with their dreadful grey forms. They hung like a bad omen over the normally sunny and upbeat town. However, it seemed that those sunny days were merely a distant memory as the grey masses just seemed to stretch for hours. With the clouds so grey, it was only a matter of time before it would begin to rain.

On the ground, Haru looked up at the grey sky with a bag in hand as she was leaving the grounds of Kuoh Academy. The forecast yesterday said that today was supposed to be sunny but it seemed to be a case of… error.

Mentally commenting about how it was sunny just a few hours ago, she nearly ended up bumping into a familiar face. His silver-hair was definitely something that was unforgettable after all. Even his clothing made the male stand out a bit. "Ah, Vali-kun, it's nice to see you again." She nodded her head in a greeting.

"Haru Okumura, if I'm not mistaken." Vali stated, looking up and down the girl to see that she was still in her uniform. "I've been looking for you Phantom Thieves. Since you're the first one, I guess you can pass on this message to your leader." The boy folded his arms while resting against a wall. "Azazel is wondering what your leader's answer is to his contract."

"Oh, Akira-chan hasn't sent it yet?" Haru asked, silently getting an answer from one look on Vali's face. "Well, I suppose that there isn't any address to return the papers to privately either." She then returned a polite smile. "Why don't you follow me back to our place, that way you can pick it up and deliver it yourself?"

"…" Vali stared at Haru. This girl was far too trusting in his opinion. Unless it was just him since he's only been around her for almost an equivalent of an hour total and that was with and without close interactions. "Very well, that would perhaps be for the best."

"Okay, then follow me." Haru gestured with her free arm as she began to lead the male around the streets. "So is there anything you are doing at the moment, Vali-kun? Attending college? Maybe university? Do you have a job?"

"I train." Vali stated curtly.

"Ah, okay." Haru nodded her head, as if unaware of his tone. "You that means that you can fight. Do you have any hobbies?"

"No."

"I see." Haru answered. "What does Azazel have you do?"

"Nothing."

"…Alright then…" Now Haru's expression fell a bit, knowing that Vali wasn't exactly keeping his answers open. Although she supposed she couldn't blame him. Perhaps Vali just didn't want to talk much about his private life. She then looked up to see a familiar building. "Ah, we're here."

Walking on the stone path, Haru fumbled around until she managed to fish the key out of her pocket. Unlocking the door, she stepped in first. "Come on in, remember to wipe your feet before taking your shoes off and just take a seat on one of those couches. I have to give Akira-chan a call about the contract."

Vali did as he was told as he watched Haru walk off with bags in tow. Looking around, he noticed that the Phantom Thieves had kept this place rather well tidy. Since it was tidy, it made him notice that there weren't really any pictures of them or relatives around. It could just be a teenager thing or something similar, but it was a detail that for some reason stood out to Vali.

"And here we are." Haru came walking in with a platter of two coffee mugs filled with the steaming brown liquid and papers folded under her arm. "I also made us some coffee if you wanted some. It would be nice to drink something while looking over any details about the contract you may think will be an issue so that Azazel-san won't have to deal with them."

Vali just gave her a straight look as he took the contract from her and began rummaging through the pages. Patiently, he knew that he would have to go through this carefully. Even though he wouldn't be the one providing benefits, he still wouldn't want to leave too early or else Azazel would perhaps tease him about not having enough time to stare at this Haru girl.

Although if he spent a long time in this household, he could be teased about staring at the girl for too long.

In basic terms, he was stuck in a crossroad of bullshit.

Unconsciously taking a sip of coffee, he read the papers. Line by line, word by word, letter by letter, he processed it all. Some of it he skimmed, but then his eyes would be careful when important parts came up. Coming up on one part though, he looked back up to Haru. "You all agree to refuse the condition of housing those three Fallen Angels and I."

"Well, it wasn't a very good idea in the first place." Haru looked up in thought before saying her words carefully. If this person was highly trusted by Azazel, and liked to train apparently, it was probably a good idea to not get on Vali's bad side. "We are all fine on our own. Apart from the issue of cleaning, everything else is fine enough for us to not need any servant of sorts. Not only that, but it just seemed unfair for you to be forced away from your home just like that. There was no way we all would agree to do that."

Vali only settled for staring at Haru. Considering how powerful they were, he was almost sure that they would agree to at least take the maid part of the deal since they may be busy with other things already. Plus… her explanation was pretty logical at the same time. "…I see." Was all he could say. "I suppose you have my thanks for denying such a request."

Haru giggled in response. "You're welcome." She nodded her head with a small smile. The heiress then gestured to Vali. "Would you like some more coffee?"

Looking down, Vali realized that he was holding an empty mug.

 **TakeABreak**

It was supposed to be a regular day, but then it suddenly turned sour.

All of the Occult Research club members were line up inside the room. Asia may not have been a member, but she stuck close to Issei like glue just like she did with Ann due to her concern and being close to the brunette.

Issei was standing behind one of the couches, standing right next to Asia. Forming a small line with them were both Koneko and Kiba. Their faces were straight, but the brunette could see the bitterness in their features. Rias was sitting at her desk with an extremely displeased look on her face. Akeno was standing by the desk, her usual smile gracing her face but it was quite obvious that was wasn't happy as well.

On the opposite couch opposite of the club and their guest was a young man in his early twenties. Their hair was short and blonde while their eyes were dark blue. He wore a burgundy blazer with gold embroidery on the right. Pants matched his outfit while black dress shoes covered his feet. Underneath his top though was a white dress shirt that was not fully buttoned, giving a view of his muscular chest.

Not only that, but there were so many girls behind that blonde male as well. An assortment was perhaps a better term to describe it. There were all kinds of girls ranging from those in maid costumes, cat girls, twins, a miko, the list just went on.

Issei did not like him. Mainly because of the fact that the man was pretty much flaunting about the fact that he ha a harem and Issei didn't. While the brunette did wish to have his own harem as well, it was the fact that the man was so open about it.

It seemed that he wasn't the only one in that boat though, considering how everyone else seemed not too pleased at the sudden appearance and how the man just welcomed himself.

"State why you are here, Riser Phenex." Rias spoke, her tone proving not to be pleasant at all. The name was spoken with disdain and some disgust as well to fill the room and the building around them. "You have entered my territory without the proper escort. Grayfia was supposed to take you here but you arrived without her."

"What? No hello? Not even anything to offer?" The man asked with a small smirk, cracking one eye open to look at Rias. "Is this how you greet your guests, Rias?" His question was clearly filled with mockery.

Everyone, including Riser's group, turned to look at Rias. The red-haired female's eyes were closed and her arms were folded. She had been like that since Issei had walked through the door. He didn't know if something happened beforehand or if there was something behind this. What he did know though was that Rias did not like this blonde-haired person.

"Oh come now, no need to act like that." Riser walked over to the desk Rias was using as a shield to keep them apart. Clearly it was a weak barrier. "I just came early to inform you that the date had been decided. Now, while I know it's a little sudden, I though we could go visit the location the ceremony is taking place in."

"I've already told you, Riser, I have no intention of marrying you!"

Everyone practically heard the sound of Issei's jaw hitting the ground. Kiba and Koneko looked away. Akeno frowned. Asia was confused by the entire manner, but managed to bring Issei back to reality by pushing the boy's jaw back up. "M-m-married! What the hell is going on?! Buchou, who the hell is this guy?!"

All eyes turned to Issei. "Who are you?" Riser asked, looking at Issei as if he were foreign.

"I'm Issei Hyoudou," The brunette introduced himself. "Pawn I'm Buchou's!" He immediately paused as he thought about what he ha said for a couple of seconds. "I mean, I'm Buchou's Pawn!"

"…Way to go, I-cchi." Koneko deadpanned from the side.

"…That explains so much." Riser added with the same kind of delivery and bland tone. He then turned to Rias. "I'm surprised you didn't tell your servant about me. Though I shouldn't be surprised. I can sense a bit of humanity left on him, so that must make him a reincarnated Devil."

"I didn't say anything because there was no need to tell them about you." Rias' words jabbed the man, but had no effect.

Riser only smiled. "You're as harsh as usual, I see. Perhaps I should humor your Pawn." He then turned over towards Issei. "I am the pureblood, high class Devil, and third son of the legendary Phenex family. I should also mention that I'm Rias' fiancé."

"Fiance?!" Both Issei and Asia exclaimed with surprise and shock.

"Enough, Riser!" Rias slammed her hands onto the desk as she glared at the blonde man standing before her. If looks could kill, Riser would have been dead before he even had a chance to utter his last name. "I've already told you, I'm not going to marry you!"

"You say that like you have a choice." Riser sounded amused, but there was a hint of steel in his voice. Even his features fell a little in a serious presentation. "We both know there isn't much we can do. Both our families have already decided on this and the contract's been written up. Don't forget that your family has been just as hasty to unite our two houses."

"Don't speak so presumptuously." Rias narrowed her eyes. "As the heir to the Gremory family, I am the one who will decide who gets to be my partner. Regardless of that, I was already promised that I would be allowed to do as I pleased until I graduate from a university in the human world."

"I fear you don't quite understand the situation, Rias, my dear." Riser replied back with snide yet kept his face in the same position. "Your parents fear your household may go extinct. In the previous Great War, many factions lost their lives and numbers which includes numbers of households. It's only natural that our parents would struggle to protect our pure-blood and household by joining together. The offspring of two high ranking, pure-blooded Devils is invaluable. It is needed if the survival of the originals is to continue on to the future."

"I do understand the situation at hand." Rias answered. "But your intentions are not what you speak of." She folded her arms over her chest. "I plan on siring an heir when I'm ready." Her eyes sharpened like blades as she glared at Riser. "But I won't marry you. I'll marry someone of my own choosing. Even the heirs of old households have that much of a right."

The blonde sighed, his fingers twitching in agitation. "You know, Rias, like you, I am a pure-blooded Devil of an old household. I bear the powerful name of Phenex. I can't let that name be tarnished. I came all the way out here to the human world to talk to you, and I don't like such a place very much." His eyes narrowed. "I've been patient with you, but I can see that words and the future of Devils is something you take too lightly."

"Enough!" Rias glared now. "This conversation is over until Grayfia arrives. Remember that you're in Gremory territory. You entered unscheduled and without permission." While giving her reasoning, Riser frowned. "I can send you away just as easily as I can invite you in."

Riser, with his narrowed eyes, lookied over to the girls that were right behind him. His Peerage kept their silence, but their expressions and postures were almost at the ready for anything he would order them to do. But then he sighed with a smirk as if Rias' words were a joke. "Very well, we'll wait for the maid." He laid his head back on the couch.

As if it were a play, on cue, there was a sudden knock on the door.

"Come in." Rias answered, trying to hold back a sigh.

The door opened to reveal Haru who was carrying a couple of bags. One was for her school work. But the other was made of plastic, seeming to be holding a couple of vegetables such as a carrot and lettuce for example. It was odd since the girl would usually be around the greenhouse on the school grounds or be going back home to get ready for the rest of her day.

"Haru-san." Rias blinked, almost forgetting about Riser. "Why are you here?"

The female blinked. Looking around, she noticed the tense atmosphere. Nobody looking like they wanted to talk about it, but she kept a slightly concerned look on her face as she avoided the conversation. "I'm just here to drop off some veggies for Kiba-chan since he asked if he could have some." Haru answered. "Not only that, but I also came to see if Asia-chan wanted to go home early. Although… I don't think that may be the best time now."

The first-year college student was already handing the plastic bag over to Kiba as she became the center of attention in the room. Riser however was the first to break the silence. "Hmm… Not bad… not bad at all." He commented as he stared at Haru. Standing up, he walked over to where Haru was standing.

As she watched eyes travel, Haru turned her head and ended up seeing Riser suddenly in front of her. "Umm… Hello." Haru greeted slowly. "Who are you?" She asked, unsure if that was even a correct question. "Are… you a Devil like Rias-chan and her Peerage?"

"My name is Riser Phenex of the Phenex clan, it is a pleasure to meet you." Riser took Haru's hand and held it up. "And you are indeed correct. I am a Devil. Since you ask that question, could I assume that you are human?" Fortunately for Haru, the blonde only made a kiss noise when his lips were an inch away from the back of her hand. The female still did not appreciate the gesture though. "If you are willing, I would like to invite you to my manor to be able to give you some… private lessons on my kind. It would be a great pleasure of mine."

Haru's eyes narrowed slightly, having a good idea what this man was implying. She heard Asia gasping with shock as Issei was pretty much choking in outrage. Even other members of the Occult Research club seemed to disapprove greatly of Riser's words.

Despite them only spending about one night together, it was a night that none of the Phantom Thieves, Sona's Peerage, and even Rias' Peerage would never be able to forget. Within the span of one meal ad less that a day had they created a friendship and almost understood what each person was like.

"I… I'm afraid I do not understand." Haru decided to feign ignorance, hoping to give the man a chance to understand what he was doing.

"Well," Riser chuckled. "You will when we share a bed-"

He was cut off by an enraged Issei and angry Asia who punched the blonde right on the cheek while the latter threw a cabbage square at Riser's face. Everyone gawked at Issei's action, but then to see Asia even do something like that was absolutely shocking.

"Don't talk to Haru like that!" Asia exclaimed.

"You bastard! How dare you-!" Issei was about to continue but then Haru managed to stop him.

"I-chan!" She shouted a bit loudly, placing her hands on both shoulders of the brunette. That managed to stop the brunette in his tracks. "While I do appreciate you protecting me, you shouldn't just approach the situation with violence." She scolded the boy. "What if this were an important meeting? If one were to attack the other out of anger, who knows what consequences would occur?"

"But-!" Issei was about to protest, but then cut himself off as he looked up at Haru's eyes. Keeping his mouth open, it suddenly became dry as he tried to find the words to say. At that moment, he looked down. "…Sorry." He mumbled.

Haru gently patted his head. "It's okay, as long as you learned your lesson. The same goes for you too, Asia-chan." Her last sentence was directed the female blonde who acknowledged it with a nod.

At that moment, a red magic circle and a faint red light appeared near the clubroom door. A few seconds later, a newcomer was left standing where the circle had been. The newcomer was a beautiful young woman that had a freezing aura around her. The woman was the second tallest in the room. She had silver hair with two braids and silver eyes that always looked like they were in focus. She wore maid outfit that was the color blue, even complete with the white headdress.

The newcomer bowed. "Pardon my lateness and lack of presence, Ojou-sama." The lady said. "I was unaware of Riser-sama's early presence so I was forced to wait until I had my suspicions."

Rias smiled. "That's fine, Grayfia." She replied with politeness. Besides, we wouldn't even consider starting this meeting without you." While talking, she shot a glare at Riser who was still standing and staring daggers at Issei and Asia. The blonde male silently however went back to his seat.

"Once again, my apologies." Grayfia said before glancing at Haru. "Pardon me, Ojou-sama, but who is this girl?" She tilted her head in the heiress' direction.

"Ah, hello." Haru bowed, feeling like she should be polite. Then again, that was her personality in general. "My name is Haru Okumura, it's nice to meet you."

Grayfia turned to get a full look at Haru before bowing herself. "It is also a pleasure to meet you myself." She said before straightening up again. "Am I to assume that you will be present during this meeting?" She finished.

Haru blinked. "What exactly is this meeting?" She asked curiously.

"The marriage between Ojou-sana and Riser-sama or course." Grayfia elaborated.

"…Could you perhaps start from the beginning?" Haru asked.

Grayfia, with Rias' permission, soon began to explain what had happened. But Haru pretty much understood it all and was able to put it into simple terms. The Phenex family had set up an arranged marriage between him and Rias, with her family's approval, in an attempt to unite the two to preserve the bloodline of pure-blooded Devils.

"But that's not right." Haru soon said after a period of silence, taking the time to process the information. "Rias-chan should marry whom she loves, not be forced into something like this. Do her parents not care about what she wants? What she thinks? What about her feelings?"

"…" Grayfia was silent, but her face twitched. It was as if she was coming up with an answer or couldn't give one at all.

Everyone stared at Haru as Rias blinked. "I… I didn't expect you react like that. As if it were… personal…" She said slowly. The red-head soon thought up of something else. "Did something happen that was similar to this?"

"…In a way. It's a shame if you would have to marry someone that you don't love or even want to marry." Haru said quietly, remember her own former fiancé. She remembered how she was used just for what her own parent wanted. Sure, there may be a difference between her arrange marriage and Rias'. But she couldn't help but compare the two situations. It was not right. Especially with this kind of a man Rias was to marry. Haru already got a good impression of what Riser was like with him just advancing on her within seconds. Even with what seemed to be his entire Peerage behind him as well at the same time.

Rias nodded and kept her ground. "I couldn't agree more." She stated before folding her arms. "So… there won't be a wedding." She stated firmly before pointing at Riser. "I'm not marrying you, Riser."

At first, Riser was patient, trying to convince Rias to marry him. Then came irritation since trying to stay calm was clearly not working. But now, after being hit by a cabbage of all things and almost ignored for a long time, he couldn't help but show his annoyance. "Don't be so selfish, Rias." Riser stated with a dismissive wave and irritated sigh. "You know this is for the betterment of Devils everywhere."

"Betterment of Devils?" Haru asked, slightly frowning at Riser's current attitude and tone. "You don't seem to even believe in those words yourself."

"It is for the betterment, human." Riser glared at the heiress. "The less of reincarnated, low-class scum we have running around the better." He snapped harshly with his gaze looking over at Issei. "We both come from famous Pillars, Rias and I. Pillars that have standards to uphold."

"But…" Haru took a deep breath. "Those can't be the last pure-blooded Devil clans." She pointed out. "And… I also don't think that she would even want to be in the same room with you, much less bear a child of yours." She was surprised with her own small insult, but she couldn't help but release a bit of frustration.

Everyone else in the room remained silent as the Devil heir and human bantered back and forth. Riser's eyebrow twitched, losing his patience much quicker than anticipated. "Then it's considered political." Riser shrugged, the stiff movement and tone proved that he was becoming very annoyed. "There's nothing wrong with that right? If the clans come together, it would be considered the strongest in the Underworld."

"And that would prove?" Haru inquired, looking down to have her bangs shadow her eyes.

Riser was officially pissed at Haru's comment as his fist slammed down on the table. His face was twisted with rage. "Stop being such a bitch!" He snarled, words dripping with venom. "I'm at my wit's end here with you, a human no less! What the hell are you even here for?! This is between Devils! Not a weak race such as yourself!"

"...So vulgar."

Riser, unable to contain it after hearing those words, lashed out angrily by flinging a concentrated ball of fire at Haru before anyone could react. It all happened as if it were slow motion. The heat was intense as it traveled over to the heiress. It was almost as if it took its time to travel. Moment by moment passed until it finally arrived close enough to Haru.

But it never reached her.

A large, black fur fan with a pink and yellow base blocked the massive amount of flames with what seemed to be little effort. Some kind of energy was being projected around the fan as well. It was like it was some kind of… blue, psychic energy that was keeping the ball of fire in place.

What was holding the hand though was a large construct wearing a black and pink Victorian style dress, with red and pink vertical striped puffs on the dress that extended to its elbows while wearing pink gloves. Underneath the dress was a white pinstripe blouse that revealed a bit of cleavage with a light blue neck choker around her neck. The bottom of the dress was in a pink color with golden trim around the dress, which had a golden lip on the center of the dress that made it resemble a smiling face. There were black and red curtains around the dress underneath. With a pink heart-shaped frill around its waist, the accessory was accompanied by a red bow tied on the drapes and a knife next to on the center of the heart-shaped frill.

What was extremely bizarre of the sudden summon, apart from its large size taking up a fair amount of room, was that it had no head. Instead, the face was replaced with a pink mask inserted with yellow eyes that was being held up by a stick in its free hand.

Looking up, Haru revealed that she was glaring. Her usual sweet look was replaced with poisonous eyes.

Riser stood up quickly as he looked like he was ready to fight it. But as he did, he saw the fireball he had thrown be sent back right towards him. Raising his arms, he defended himself from the damage and glared. "What is that?!" He asked angrily, already having enough of today.

Haru couldn't answer as she felt a surge of agony pass through her brain and fell to the floor. She couldn't help but release grunts of pain. Hissing through her teeth, one hand clutched her head while the other attempted to support her.

" **It Seems You Are in Quite the Predicament Again… My Dear, Fated Princess."**

"It can talk?!" Issei recoiled back with surprise as the voice of the Persona could be heard among all members of the room.

" **The Freedom You Have Worked for Has Grown from the Stem of Betrayal."**

"So… this is what a Persona sounds like…" Rias commented from the side, getting a look from Grayfia. "But… it kind of sounds like Haru-san… Does that mean Personas can talk but they sound like the actual person?"

" **The State You Had Yearned For... You Have Finally Achieved Such."**

Everybody wanted to react. Rias' Peerage wanted to move to protect Haru. Riser's Peerage wanted to attack since this was an anomaly. But then they couldn't. They all were absolutely paralyzed with amazement and fear.

" **But What Now? What Will You Do Next?"**

Panting over and over again, she swallowed. "My decision has been set in stone… Tempered in fire… You should already know." Haru stated as her head snapped up, revealing her pupils to be an eerie yellow.

" **Yes, That Gaze...! I Can Finally Display My True Strength Once More."**

She was slow, but Haru got back up. Stumbling, her body regained its strength it once had before. But now, there was more power running through her. Her brows were furrowed. Her pupils narrowed in a defying glare. Her lips lowered into a frown. With such a look, it was almost suffocating to nearly everyone watching her as she took her time to stand up straight.

" **I Am Thou, Thou Art I..."**

" **Let Us Adorn Your Freedom as a Dedicated Defender."**

With a flourish of her hands and the construct, rose petal began to surround both her and her Persona. The tornado of red completely blocked of vision anyone had on her. But within just a second, the crimson color was gone as fast as it had appeared.

Immediately as soon as they had sight though, Haru had somehow been changed into her Phantom Thief clothing. She wore a dark purple cavalier hat with a feather plume trucked into a tyrian purple hatband. On her body was a long-sleeved pale pink blouse with a cravat and a black corset vest with gold detailing that had a hole to show the size of her average chest. Bloomers matched her hatband along with black pantyhose, a holster belt carrying ammunition, and lace-up pumps with a pair of violet gloves.

The Persona's dress meanwhile opened up and revealed a red, metal plate that had the same smile outline as the dress. But then it opened again and revealed an array of ranged weaponry, including two gatling guns, a rocket launcher, and a missile already ready for deployment as they all popped out with the sound of the items being loaded.

"Oh!" Issei exclaimed as he covered his crotch in shock.

"I do not expect you to come to any of my reasoning at all." Haru started, pinching the brim of her hat while closing her eyes and looking down. Not only that, but she wasn't even looking in Riser's direction. "But I can't just allow my friend, Rias-chan, to marry such a selfish person such as yourself!"

Riser only watched as Haru began to point at him sharply, still keeping one hand on her hat. "You won't have much say once I incinerate you!"

"You can try to." Haru nodded. "But just try and see how much of a difficult time you will have with me." Sliding her finger and thumb along the brim of her hat, her hands were suddenly on a firearm as a giant axe had appeared out of thin air just like what she was equipped with.

She held in her hands Yagrush, a grenade launcher made from the great Baal. It was the perfect size for her as if sat perfectly in her hands and was not too heavy either. The magazine was like a revolver chamber but a lot more massive and bulky for such projectiles. Such an object was fitted perfectly against a barrel as it had iron sights that was provided. Her hands were on the wooden handles that were behind the ammunition drum and bottom of the barrel. There was even a wooden stock to provide support. But what made the weapon really stand out was the almost hellfire aesthetic it provided despite its deadly power.

On her back was Fleurs du Mal, the ominous tool created from the Persona of Beelzebub. Its black color was as if it had been made out of darkness. The battle-axe held twisted designs. The look wasn't exactly helping it as it seemed to shine like obsidian. The large, sharpened ends were ominous, just waiting for its next victim. It almost screamed out for an opponent to fight, something to clash against to test its strength. It looked so heavy, but Haru managed to carry it with a bit of effort.

"To my aid, Milady!"

 **And like that, we have another chapter! Yes, there were ideas taken from Wrathie Winsre's story 'A Flower Amongst Devils'. FUCK ME! Actually… please don't.**

 **About Riser though… Despite almost all the DxD crossovers showing that he's a dick… yes, I can agree with you. But the way I portrayed Riser… if I did any kind of portrayal, I've always seen him like that. Sure, he can be arrogant and a playboy, but he is also concerned for the future of Devils. Just marrying Rias is overshadowing that fact. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**

 **No flames please. This is a fanfic. BUY THE FUCKING MERCHANDISE!**


	14. Chapter 14

**I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.**

Luckily or unfortunately, before any actual carnage could erupt, a cold aura suddenly filled the room. Riser's anger and Haru's crossed demeanor shrunk into nonexistence as they both slowly turned their heads to look at Grayfia. The grey-haired woman was definitely the source of such temperature and Haru could tell with just one look alone. Grayfia's eyes were focused intently the both of them and the cold spiked when her eyes narrowed, causing both of them to shiver a bit.

"Please, the both of you, refrain doing anything rash or I will be forced to intervene." The grey-haired woman stated, her power not weakening for even a moment. "I can assure you that there will be no second chances if I have to get involved. Even if you are Ojou-sama's friend, this is indeed a matter of the Gremory and Phenex clan. As for you Riser Phenex…" She let it hang, but the warning was heeded. Everyone else also felt something similar, even though it was not in their direction.

Haru looked over at Grayfia with a mixed expression. Looking over towards Riser, she sighed, settling for dispelling Milady and forming her normal clothes back. The power directed towards her reminded her of the target Shadows she would face when stealing a Treasure from the Palaces. It was strong that was for sure, but she was sure the Phantom Thieves would stand a large chance if banded together.

Grayfia meanwhile stared at Haru. Two of those weapons were oddly familiar… presence-wise at least. Serving as a maid of the Gremory family while being the Lucifer's wife made her familiarize herself among several other powerful Devils. The axe made her think of Beelzebub in all of his craftiness with some swirling madness behind it. The grenade-launcher however… it reminded her of her family… as if it had the power of Bael.

The maid stored this in the back of her mind, just in case it would become an issue. Or maybe she should tell her husband right now? Perhaps the former would be better. Wouldn't want to stress the man slash husband out too much at the moment due to the conflict at hand.

"Fortunately," Grayfia began, already getting back to the topic at hand. "Gremory-sama and Phenex-sama predicted that Ojou-sama wouldn't agree to the marriage willingly." She stated, already lowering the cold aura she presented before while ignoring the looks she was given. "They have agreed to give Ojou-sama a chance to end her arranged marriage through a Rating Game." A gesture was made during her explanation.

Haru made a quick note to ask what a Rating Game was later.

"If Ojou-sama wins," Grayfia continued. "Her marriage will be canceled. If Riser-sama wins, then the wedding will take place soon after the Rating Game."

"Yes!" Issei immediately exclaimed audaciously while vigorously pumping his fist. "Let's do it, Buchou!" He cheered energetically with fire burning in his eyes. "We can totally beat this blonde, pretty boy bastard!"

Riser soon began to chuckle in amusement, most likely at Issei's proclamation. It was as if he had completely forgotten about Haru or that Grayfia had even threatened him. The confident blonde-Devil continued to snicker before it become full-blown laughter, much to Issei's and almost everyone else's annoyance. Even his Peerage snickered a bit. "A Rating Game? Is that all?" Riser finally stopped with a smirk on his face. "Fine with me, if a Rating Game is the only way to settle this then so be it." He then pointed at Rias confidently. "And, as a sign of good faith, I'll give you ten days to prepare for it. You may even have the opportunity to pick the stage."

"…I agree." Rias simply responded after a moment of silence. "A Rating Game it is with Kudou Academy as the grounds."

Grayfia nodded her head. "If that is what you wish." She said as a red magic circle appeared at her feet. "I will inform your parents of your decision." The woman then shot a glare at Riser. "And you will come with me. Your parents will want to have a word with you after they're informed of your conduct."

Riser lowered his head. "Yes, ma'am."

As all of Riser's Peerage began to leave with the Devil, Haru noticed one of them staring at her with suspicion. She was small, standing under the height of Haru. Maybe she was just taller than Futaba by one inch. She had blonde hair tied into two drill-like shapes and the front of her hair had several bangs hanging over her forehead. Her outfit consisted of a light purple dress with dark purple accents and a blue bow at the front. At the back, three feather-like extensions mimicking a bird's tail protruded from the dress.

Not sure what warranted such a look, but Haru was at the full force of the girl's eyes before Riser and his Peerage disappeared with Grayfia.

"Sorry you had to see and be a part of that." Snapping out of her thoughts, Haru turned around to see Rias sitting behind her desk again." I did expect Riser to come, but not without Grayfia." She said. "Although, it was a sight to see your Persona and… your equipment…" Trailing off, she stared at Haru.

The Phantom Thief saw this, wondering what Rias was staring for. She then realized that it was probably about the weapons she had on her person. Well… Futaba did mention that Baal as well as Beelzebub were clans from the 72 Pillars. "Yes…" Haru nodded slowly, thinking about what to say next.

Rias shook her head. "It seems that starting from tomorrow, we're going to be training."

Haru tilted her head. "Training?"

The red-haired female sighed. "Riser is not going to be an easy opponent." Rias stated with a downcast look. It was clear to the heiress that the Gremory girl pretty much had already resigned to fate and this whole Rating Game thing is only means to prolong the inevitable. That didn't sit well with her. "The Phenex clan possess the powers of the Pheonix: immortality, healing tears, and pyrokinesis. His also outnumbers and is stronger Peerage wise compared to us. I still see a chance to win… but…"

Haru frowned. She noticed that Rias was quite angry, annoyed, and saddened all at once. It seemed like this whole Rating Game thing was just a way to give her false hope that she could actually end the marriage. That's what it sounded like, right? Allowing the fate of a marriage to be dictated by an even in which one of the participants had extremely high chances of winning.

"…I want to help Rias-san."

Everyone slowly turned to the voice that had spoken out. Never before, or was expected, had anyone seen Asia with such conviction in her eyes. "I want to be able to participate in this Rating Game with her. I want to help her win!"

All of Rias' Peerage and Haru blinked at the statement the smaller girl made. "That's…" Akeno said slowly, managing to be the first to snap out of the stupor. "That's very kind of you to say, Asia-chan." The girl shook her head though. "But only Devils may participate in the Rating Games."

"Then turn me into a Devil." Asia answered immediately, surprised looks staring at her growing even bigger. "Issei, Ann-san, Akira-san, Morgana-chan, Makoto-san, Futaba-san, Haru-san... even you and your Peerage, Rias-san. You've all done so much for me. You all gave me a new life I never thought I would have experienced." Blinking a single tear ran down the blonde's cheek. "All of you have done so much for me. So I want to do something in return. I don't care if I'm a Devil… Life will still be wonderful with you and God… even if I cannot end up praying to him…"

"…Asia-san…" Issei said with admiration. But then he looked away to hide a guilty face with shame on it as well.

"And of course, you can call upon the Phantom Thieves to help you in anyway we can." Haru added, stepping forward to get closer to the desk. "There is no way I want you marry that man." Seeing Rias' gaze light up a bit, Haru felt like she should throw something else in. "No, none of us want to be turned into Devils."

"…I wasn't going to say any of that." Rias denied, but then her face told a different story.

Kiba meanwhile had a confused look on his face. "So… Asia-san is joining our Peerage. While that is nice… how are you going to help us, Haru-san?"

Turning over towards the blonde, all of the Devils in the room and the former-nun all felt a rather heavy atmosphere. It was as if Milady was back in the room with Haru's angry look. But the girl's face remained as neutral as ever, but then it was as if she had a plan in mind. Honestly… it gave them all hope that they could win.

"What is a Rating Game and what are the rules?" Haru asked.

 **TakeABreak**

"You know… for something that sounds extremely important… this Rating Game idea has a lot of loopholes."

Futaba made this observation after Haru had explained to all of them what Rias had told her. All were scattered around their lounging area with designated spots. "I mean, seriously! You think there would be some better rules to this thing!"

"At least we can use this to our advantage though when helping Gremory-san with her marriage problem." Yusuke said while folding his arms and legs in his seat. "Which makes me beg the question. How are we going to help her and her Peerage anyways?"

"Yusuke's got a point." Makoto nodded in the blue-haired boy's direction. "It's a given that we can't participate in the Rating Game. I don't think we can really train them either since they all have their own methods of fighting ingrained in them. Ten days is something but not much of a difference."

"Maybe we could provide them some supplies that they could bring?" Ann suggested. "It seems that they use magic. So maybe we have medicine and food they could consume in the middle of fighting."

"If that's the case, we should be able to provide several of our battle items to them as well." Morgana stated, causing Akira to roll his neck to pop several kinks. "Though maybe we should also think about which ones to provide just in case questions pop up."

"Holy stuff is lethal to Devils, right? Then there is no way we should provide them with those Happy Bombs." Ryuji pointed out. "Some real bad shit could happen if they were used."

"But it can't just be about equipment." Akira stated, leaning forward while resting both elbows on his legs. "If Gremory-san says that this Riser is strong as well as his Peerage, then just fighting alone won't be enough with supplies we provide them."

Haru looked down. "But if supplies are all we can do… what else is there to help them?"

All of them fell quiet, wondering what they should do next. An idea just had to come up, something, anything! All of them just had to think. What else was there? It was as if something was missing!

It then hit Akira. It was a long shot but… "I think I know what we all can do…" He said slowly, looking at each and every one of the Phantom Thieves. "But… some of us are going to have to sacrifice a fair amount of time in order to go along with it." Taking in a deep breath, Akira sighed. "So, do-"

"I'm down." Ryuji nodded.

"Same." Morgana answered.

"Count me in." Ann replied.

"Agreed." Yusuke provided.

"Let's do it." Makoto threw in.

"Onwards and upwards!" Futaba exclaimed.

"I'm fine with whatever you have in mind." Haru stated.

"…" Akira fell silent for a few seconds. "You don't even know what I have to say."

"Dude, this is your we're talking about." Ryuji deadpanned. "It's most likely a brilliant idea. So, let's hear it."

The leader of the Phantom Thieves rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but smile with everyone else. They give him too much credit. Way too much credit. "All right, so this is the plan."

 **TakeABreak**

"…And that's why I'm asking if you have any books at all related to the Phenex clan and pulling some strings so I as well as maybe a few others won't be in trouble for skipping school."

"…" Sona just stared at Akira with a look that was trying to make sense of what the boy had just said. Some of the student council members held the same look as Sona.

Akira blinked, his school bag over his shoulder while carrying a sack in the other hand. "Hmm?" He hummed in question. "Is something wrong, Sitri-san?"

"Or course there's something wrong." Sona deadpanned. "You can't just say and that's why I'm asking if you have any books at all related to the Phenex clan and pulling some strings so that you as well as maybe a few others won't be in trouble for skipping class without any proper context or introduction to your sentence."

Grey eyes blinked a few times. "Ah."

Sona wanted to bang her head against her work desk. She respected Akira at first. That respect constantly grew in admiration since he was the leader of the Phantom Thieves. All of that was staring to go down the drain with how he acted. Was this really him or just a ruse? "Ah." She mimicked dryly in turn. "That's all you can say?"

"It's to help Gremory-san." Akira answered. "Did you know about her and the marriage with Riser Phenex?"

Taking off her glasses, Sona began to polish them while everyone else in the room got back to their assignments. "Sadly, yes. But despite being her friend, in no way am I able to interfere in the matter." Fitting them back on, she readjusted them to a much more comfortable position. "So, to put it bluntly, you are asking me to make the staff more lenient towards your misconducts of missing classes."

"Yeah, pretty much." Akira nodded. He clearly noticed the disapproving look that she was giving him.

"…I'm just a student council president, what do you think I can do against the staff?" Sona deadpanned, before sighing. "But… I suppose I could attempt to try and persuade them to be so."

"Just hearing that means a lot more than you think, Sitri-san." Akira nodded his head. Stepping forward, he then placed the bag in his hand on her desk. "It's for you."

Raising an eyebrow, Sona put down the pencil she was holding in favor of opening it up. Her eyes slightly shot up and she looked at Akira. "You just handed me a bunch of explosives." She stated, looking back in the bag. Hopefully no adults would walk in on them as she pulled one Megido Bomb out and observed it in her hands carefully. Slowly putting it back in the bag, her eyes met Akira's. "I have to help you now, don't I?"

"The idea of those as compensation did come to mind." Akira nodded his head.

"Which means that Azazel already made his delivery." Sona observed, slipping the bag beneath her desk. She also made a note that she would have to sneak these out somehow. How Akira managed to get in without suspicion was odd enough, but she wouldn't dwell on it. "I'll provide you with the information I can as soon as possible as well as the news about the Phantom Thieves' absences." She then paused and thought about it. "…I… just made a deal with a Phantom Thief… The leader of the Phantom Thieves to add in fact…."

Akira tilted his head with curiosity. The way Sona said it made it sound like an accomplishment of sorts. "This must mean a lot to you." He noted with a small grin growing on his lips.

Blinking, Sona just realized how she was acting in front of Akira and coughed. "Right." She stated, returning back to her professional persona she always displayed. Taking in a deep breath, she brought back the composure she was used to. "So," Sona began, ignoring the amused look on the black-haired male's face. "It seems that we have everything in order."

Looking up in thought, Akira was in that position for a bit. Nodding his head, nothing else of issue really came to mind. "Pleasure doing business with you." He thanked, extending his hand. Sona looked down at his flesh and slowly stared back at him. Extending her own hand, they linked together and shook.

"Now I just have to mentally prepare myself for the possibility of urinary track disorders."

"…" Sona gave him a dull look. "So you're visiting Azazel already, huh?"

 **TakeABreak**

Ryuji groaned as he stretched his limbs after carrying a large box filled with something heavy if he had to make such a sound when putting it down.

Arching his back while standing, he felt a lot better after taking in a deep breath and sighed. It was after school and apparently the first day since Rias and her Peerage had began their training. If they could at least have Sona inform them that they could skip classes in favor of giving advice for training, that would be swell. Even if the teachers said no, they would still go anyways. But for now, it was staying back in the city to do whatever they can.

Ryuji knew that Akira was going to have to go through some extremely weird things since the leader was going for testing. To be honest, it made him wonder what kind of things would happen. Thankfully, Akira's shifts have been more lenient towards him and allowed the boy to come in whenever or when called.

"Oi, Sakamoto, you doing okay there?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Ryuji turned around to see an adult walking up to him with a raised eyebrow and folded arms. "Oh shit." He swore to himself quietly before speaking up louder. "Sorry, boss. Just blanked out there for a minute." He rubbed the back of his head.

The adult just looked up and down, scanning the boy. "Something on your mind?" Ryuji stared at the question, wondering how the man knew. "Kid, I've learned to read people's expressions since starting this job. That's how you get business to work at times. You want to talk about it?"

Ryuji thought about it for a moment before shaking his head. "Nah, it's something that doesn't involve me or you. It's just some concern for a friend."

"Whatever." The boss waved his hands, walking back into a building. "When you're done moving that into the building, punch out. Your shift's almost done and I don't want to pay you overtime."

The blonde sighed as he picked up the heavy box once more and began to move. He never thought that his first job would end up being a stocker for a grocery store. But hey, he had to take what he could get. Despite their massive amount of earnings and Haru's savings, all of the Phantom Thieves agreed to work just like the rest of society so that they could get used to it. It was sort of like a form of independency.

Speaking of being independent, it still broke Ryuji's heart a little bit that he had to leave his mom in favor of living with Akira and the others. All of them had to make the choice of living together while moving out of Tokyo since even the boy wanted to try and attempt such a life with his parents saying he could move back in with them at any time.

Still… it was hard. Ryuji's mom did take care of her boy for pretty much his entire life. His dad was never there in the first place. When the man actually was though, both Ryuji and his mom were hit a lot. The blonde also had a large displeasure of bad things related to alcohol since his dad was also a drunk before leaving the two of them.

But his mom endured it all for him. Thinking back, Ryuji remembered that he was just a kid going through all kinds of phases. One memory stood out from the rest though as if was brought up during a memorable moment. Ryuji chuckled when he thought about the dolphin he bought for his mom when he was just a kid. He just wanted a way to thank her for everything she did for him and that smile on her face was just beautiful.

Setting down the box among many others, the boy wiped some seat off of his brow and felt a buzz in his pocket. Walking out of the storage area, towards the break room, and pulling out a card to scan out of his shift, he checked his phone and saw that there was a text.

 _[Well, bad news. Sitri-san was unable to allow us to be able to skip classes without getting in trouble.]_ Akira informed them.

Ryuji sighed again, but he couldn't say that he didn't expect something like this. Tapping on the reply bar, he began to move his thumbs. _[Can't exactly say I'm surprised. Who in the right mind would allow students to skip always?]_

 _[I'm sure that you skipping school would be no problem.]_ Ann commented.

"…" Ryuji took on a look as he stared at Ann's statement in the conversation. _[Hah?]_ He asked in confusion as if he could be heard.

 _[Ah, I think I see what Ann is talking about.]_ Yusuke interjected. _[It must be due to the fact that you are doing so poor in school at the moment, skipping class won't make a difference.]_

 _[What?]_ Ann questioned from her end. _[No, I was just talking about how he already has the image of a delinquent in a sense. Plus, he's done it before back at Shujin.]_

 _[You guys both realize I'm reading this, right?!]_ Ryuji exclaimed in his words while groaning. _[How the hell can you think so low of me, Yusuke? What about Ann?! She's only doing good in English!]_

Taking a deep breath, Ryuji looked down towards his screen and saw that the blonde-girl already had a reply. _[At least I'm good at a subject!]_

 _[While I enjoy watching you two react to each other, does that mean we could just skip classes and go over to Gremory-san's palce?]_ Futaba asked.

 _[Doubtful.]_ Akira replied. _[Sitri-san also informed me that Gremory-san and her Peerage are probably training in a private strip of land. She gave me her their numbers though so that a summoning circle could be used to shorten travel time when coming into contact with Rias.]_

 _[A bit more complex than it should be, at least the travelling to where they are is efficient this way. I wonder how it will feel?]_ Makoto noted. _[I'll head there tomorrow after school since there shouldn't be much homework. I'll be sure to let Gremory-san know. Yusuke, I'll need a few cards as well to help them out.]_

 _[Of course. The briefcase is just inside the lounging area next to one of the couches.]_ Yusuke replied.

 _[I'm going to need a few as well. Just some weak ones though.]_ Akira added in.

A question came from Haru. _[Oh? What for, Akira-chan?]_

 _[Just a proposal for Azazel-san]_ Akira answered.

Ryuji kept staring, waiting for a few seconds for someone else to reply. But no new messages signaled that the conversation was over. "Still can't believe they had that conversation." Ryuji muttered, referring to Ann and Yusuke.

Walking out of the break room and out of the store, Ryuji wondered what he should do next. Maybe grab a quick bite to eat. But before he could fully make his decision, before he even left the sidewalk in front of the store, he heard a girl struggling.

"Who do you think you are talking to, you miscreant?!"

Turning his head, Ryuji saw a blonde girl with hair tried into two drill-like shapes with another female wearing a mask verbally insulting some random guy.

 **First of all, sorry for this chapter being all over the place. It's messy, but… it's something? I was also going to throw in Yusuke and the events that would have ended up happening with him but… this seemed like a better place to stop so that there wouldn't be any more branches to this massive tree of confusion.**

 **Next, trying to add in the honorifics, is driving me crazy. So what I'm going to try and do later is go through my previous chapters and edit the names so that it will be like the HighSchoolDxD anime where they just say their names. Just letting everyone know in case they notice it and remind me of it.**

 **There are going to be so many things happening in the next few chapter I'm not sure if they're going to be written well. Oh well, here goes nothing.**

 **No flames please.**


	15. Chapter 15

**I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.**

Ravel Phenex was really beginning to not like coming in contact with human beings in the human world. Ever since she arrived with her privately requested escort, Isabela, all the blonde girl had was annoyance towards them. Almost every few minutes, they would be interrupted from their objective.

What was the objective? To try and find out whether or not this Haru character will actually be a part of Rias Gremory's Peerage. Due to how she acted in front of her brother, and how tempting becoming a Devil would be to most humans, Ravel came to the conclusion that the person they're trying to find would join. Not only would that massive construct Haru summoned be bad to fight against, but then the girl already had weapons that felt like they were imbedded with demonic power.

It had been a total of nine hours since the two Devils of Riser's Peerage had arrived in Kuoh. When they arrived in the small city, the two of them came to a realization. Ravel and Isabela know the exact location of where Haru would be anyways. They had a feeling they would be somewhere in the city but where exactly was the question.

Really, Ravel had lost count how many times she was subjected to this type of nuisance known as flirting from so many human males while Isabela had to fend them off. While the Rook didn't have to, Ravel did appreciate the gesture. Such appreciation was questioned when Isabela would end up being the target and she would break their fingers.

Right now though, Ravel just felt like giving up at this rate. It had been such a long day of nothing but wandering and walking. She should have packed a bigger lunch in hindsight due to so much exploring. Not only that, but this new human just didn't know when to stop.

"Who do you think you are talking to, you miscreant?!" Isabela exclaimed, stepping protectively in front of Ravel. The girl just felt like punching this person's teeth in due so many already having wasted their time through the entire day. Their search being fruitless with so many stops was really making her lose her temper. "You are talking to Ravel-sama!"

"Come on, you don't need to be so uptight. Just relax, we're only asking if you want to hang out with us." The guy stated, holding his hands up in a peaceful gesture. "Honest, it's all I'm asking."

"Noted and denied." Isabela answered for her and Ravel with a deadpan. Eyes narrowed into a glare while fist balled up yet her arms remained down. The mask hid one of her eyes, but it just made her seem a bit more deadly. "We've constantly said no but you just push no matter what. This is your final warning before I punch your teeth in." The threated was followed by a growl. "Go. Away."

Ravel folded her arms, glaring at the male as well who had no regard of their opinion. "You think you are taking both of us for fools? There is no way anybody would want to be with a disgusting human like you."

"Didn't you hear what I said before?" The guy still tried to press on. "Just relax." He smiled with what seemed to be honest interest but then there was the possibility of other intentions. "Trust me, you both will have a good time." He reached over and grabbed Ravel's hands gently while stepping past Isabela.

That was the moment the Rook snapped.

Before Isabela could punch the guy right in the fist, a voice interrupted them. "Oi, they told you to go away! They did, didn't they?! So why not just piss off?!"

As all of them turned their heads to look across the street, their eyes fell upon a blonde teenager just a year older than Ravel. His school uniform indicated that he attended the same academy as Rias. Watching him walk over, he broke the contact between the guy and her by stepping through the arm. He now stood in front of them, acting as a shield from the nuisance.

"How many times do I have to say it-?"

"How many times do they have to say it?" The blonde male growled lowly with his eyes narrowing into a glare. Ravel and Isabela only blinked at the first human to ever act like this during their searching. Stepping closer, the one trying to hit on them stepped back in response. "Why don't you do them both a favor – and go away." Ravel and Isabela were shocked at the amount of emotion in his voice. "Stop being such a nuisance! Why don't you just listen to them?!"

As the blonde stared at the one peeving the two Devils, that annoying human just stared back with narrowed eyes. An angry look was clear in both of their eyes. But the one who saved them remained stronger as his opponent just scoffed and walked away.

Watching the blonde take in a deep breath, Ravel and Isabela could only stared at the anger fixated on his face. Never before had they seen an angry look before. But soon, his eyes were upon them. Isabela stood at attention to guard her charge.

It was normal for guys to sometimes hit on females. But Ryuji was immediately reminded of Kamoshida slightly when it came down to harassing those girls. Even a bit more similar, the male acted so calm when doing it. Not any care, feelings, or concern for the females that the guy was trying to pick up. It just pissed slash irritated him off. It made his blood boil and act so angry. So angry that he went up in the guys face and began to act without thinking.

But then he turned his head and saw the two girls. He watched as the masked girl protected the other girl in the dress. Ryuji blinked and soon realized what he had presented. Looking down at himself as if he couldn't believe he was in his body, he released his sigh from the deep breath from earlier. Closing his eyes, he let the tension within dissipate.

"…Sorry you had to see that." Ryuji mumbled loud enough for the two female witnesses to be able to hear. Opening his eyes, he put on his usual straight look after calming down. "You two okay or something? Or should that question be for the other guy? You, with the mask, really looked like you were going to knock the living daylights out of him."

If there was one way to describe how the two of them were feeling, it would be stunned. Due to their slightly peaceful life within the Underworld with the only moments of mad conflict being within Rating Games, the change from the blonde's anger to neutral feeling was certainly a surprise. "Y-yes, we're both okay." Isabela answered for the two of them.

"Well, that's good." Ryuji answered, slightly feeling a bit awkward acting like that in front of a couple of girls his age. As far as he went with girl strangers, his experiences were not that good. It surprised him slightly that they didn't just say thanks and walk away. "Name's Ryuji Sakamoto by the way." He nodded his head.

"…" Both Devils continued to keep their gaze glued upon the boy as he introduced himself. Once more, they were on guard. He wasn't the first guy to approach them after all. But the way he caught their attention was… pleasant compared to the others. "…Isabela." The masked-girl answered.

"…Ravel… Phenex." Ravel answered slowly, doing her best to observe the boy while making sure it didn't look like she was checking him out. He honestly sort of had the description of a delinquent from the way he acted to the way he dressed sort of. It was then that she noticed that the two of them didn't say anything in gratitude to the boy's actions. Despite the barbaric methods, it seemed he not a bad person in the end. "Th-thank you for what you did." She mentally cursed herself for her stuttering.

Scratching the back of his head, Ryuji wore a sheepish expression. "Ah, it was no problem, Ravel-san, Isabela-san." He answered. It was kind of odd though. This may have been a small place, but then he never saw anybody wear those kinds of clothes before in an area like this… Wait… "Did you say you're name was Phenex? As in related to Riser Phenex?"

At the mention of her brother's name, Ravel closed her mouth shut and kept herself silence. If this boy knew the name of her brother, then he was a Devil or related to the matter. Isabela however was more vocal. "What do you know about Riser-sama?" The Rook snapped at the blonde, bringing her fist up just in case a fight would break out.

"Whoa, whoa, hey!" Ryuji stepped back, holding his hands up in a peaceful gesture like that other guy did before, but this was with better intentions. "I'm just asking! No need to be so violent! I'm not going to harm you guys! But… if you're calling him Riser-sama… then you're a part of that guy's Peerage maybe." He sighed, hunching over. "Oh man, what did I just get myself into?" However, the male blonde looked back up. "So what brings you two out here anyways? That Phenex guy around then?"

"Riser-sama prefers not to waste his time in the human world." Isabela stated.

Ryuji just gave them a weird look. "Then what are you guys doing here? I doubt it's for anything casual because of your Rating Game coming up against Gremory-san and her Peerage." He blinked soon afterwards… Aww crap, he just went out and ran his mouth again. This was like those times when he blurted out that he and the others were the Phantom Thieves. He really thought he stopped that habit.

Once more, the two Devils were on their guards. This guy mentioned Rias Gremory and the Rating Game? There was definitely a close connection between the two of them. Maybe he even knew about Haru. "You know about those?" Isabela asked. She soon ended up snatching the collar of Ryuji's clothing. "Are you a spy?!""

"What part of I'm not going to harm you guys flew over your head?! The entire sentence?!" Ryuji exclaimed back. "Seriously, Isabela-san, what the hell?!"

Ravel just sighed. At this rate, she just wanted to go home sooner or later. But… if this person knew about the Rating Game coming up… "Where did you hear that information from, Sakamoto-san?" The blonde-Devil asked curiously.

Ryuji and Isabela's heads slowly turned over towards the female Phenex. Ryuji blinked at the calm question. After such a tense moment, all of the suspense somehow lifted out of the atmosphere. "Uhh…" Ryuji intelligently answered at first. "From my friend."

"…And who is that friend?" Ravel asked slowly.

"…Haru." Ryuji answered with the same speed, ignoring the fact that he was being help up by the collar.

Ravel nodded with satisfaction. "Okay then." It seemed that their efforts were finally rewarded… even though such a reward should be bigger with how much time was put into such a task. "Is Haru a part of Gremory-san's Peerage?"

"No." Ryuji answered honestly, that was something he would never lie about. Why should he withhold that truth? As long as he didn't reveal what they had in mind, which he fortunately did not speak anything of yet, it was fine. He was pretty sure saying that Haru wouldn't be a part of the Peerage wouldn't do any harm. "Why would she want to be a Devil?"

Ravel stared at the blonde. "Judging by what you're saying, you've probably been offered such a proposal and refused with your human presence as evidence." She observed. "At least this concludes that Haru-san's likeliness of joining Gremory-san's Peerage is zero." Rubbing her head, relief flooded through her body shortly. "Isabela, release Sakamoto-san and let's-"

A loud growl escaped her stomach, cutting Ravel off mid-sentence.

The female Phenex found herself blushing in complete embarrassment at the large signal indicating that she was very hungry. Ryuji's eyes widened with surprise at the volume of the sound. "Holy shit, that was loud." He stated bluntly. "How long has it been since you last ate?"

His attention was immediately forced to Isabela as the Rook shook him violently, becoming protective of Ravel's dignity. "You have three seconds to forget what you just heard or else-!"

A loud growl escaped her stomach, cutting Isabela off mid-sentence.

"…" Ryuji just stared as Isabela's face began to flush as well. He soon caught a glare looking his way from both girls. "What?! I didn't say anything!"

Ravel just sighed dejectedly, just not in the mood at the moment. "Isabela… let's just go back home. I wonder if dinner back at home is cold by now with how long we have been out." She was tired and hungry, the day not being how she thought it would be.

The Rook however stared at Ravel, seeing the expression on the young girl's face. "…Very well, Ravel-sama." Isabela nodded her head, releasing her grip on Ryuji's collar.

The blonde meanwhile kept a curious gaze on them. For them to be that hungry… either they didn't eat much throughout the day or they worked so hard that the food from lunch wasn't enough. Ravel also said something about dinner probably being cold at her house by how long they had been out.

"…" Ryuji let out some breath through his nose with a concerned expression. Just as he felt his collar be released, he came up with something. "…Hey," He started, earning the glances of Ravel and Isabela. "There's a ramen place close by. That kind of food perfect after a long day of hard work. Why don't I treat you guys to a bowl?"

Once again, the two Devils were stunned by the boy. Once again, such gestures were unexpected from such a human. "Why would you do that for us?" Ravel asked curiously, being the first to recover. "We're Gremory-san's enemies. You're her friend, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I'm a friend of Gremory-san." Ryuji confirmed with a nod of his head. Soon however, he waved the fact off with a shrug of his shoulders. "But you're not enemies until the Rating Game happens. Right now, you're just two girls that are hungry after a long day. And what you had to go through… I admit, I feel kind of guilty about it." The blonde scratched the back of his head. "Considering that Haru was the main reason you both were here and I'm her friend and all."

"Ravel-sama, we shouldn't go. It could be a trap." Isabela protested with the best intentions.

"…That I'm not going to harm you part really did fly over your head, didn't it?" Ryuji deadpanned.

To be honest, Ravel didn't want to think. Honestly, she just wanted to eat as soon as possible. There was no way this boy was going to hurt them. If he had the intentions to, then he have left them to handle that annoying guy from before. "Lead the way, Sakamoto-san." She groaned.

 **TakeABreak**

"You want us to go there?"

Ryuji turned back to look at Isabela and Ravel, mainly the Rook who asked the question. "What's wrong with this place?" He asked, walking towards a booth with a few empty seats. "Sure, it looks empty. But they make pretty good ramen."

As the blonde walked up and took a seat, Isabela and Ravel both shared a look before following the Phantom Thief. Taking a seat next to the boy, Isabela made sure that she was between Ryuji and Ravel in case he would try something.

As the two Devils looked around, they couldn't help but feel that they were in a warm and inviting atmosphere. The fragrant aroma of what seemed to be an alluring food hung in the air, invading their noses with its amazing scent. Once more, their stomachs began to rumble as Ryuji's joined in on the mess as well.

As Ryuji turned his head in their direction as soon as his stomach grumbled, he saw two satisfied smirks in his direction as he looked away. His face was scrunched as his cheeks were red with embarrassment. "Don't say a word." He grumbled. Getting out of his one second bad mood, he looked up to the menu which was between the ceiling and wall. Nodding towards it, he had to ask them. "So, what are you girls getting?"

Blinking, they both looked up at the menu while Isabela leaned on the counter. There were some… interesting dishes this place served. Really… there was no imagery to the display. It only contained the words and prices. "I'll have the… vegetable ramen." Ravel decided.

"…The pork ramen seems nice." Isabela answered slowly.

"Okay then." Ryuji nodded his head before getting the attention of who was probably the owner of the place. "One miso ramen, one vegetarian ramen, and a pork ramen please." He ordered for them, earning a nod from the adult before watching them get to work.

"I just realized, we haven't thanked you for treating us yet." Ravel said slowly, looking over to Ryuji. Honestly, she was pretty conflicted on how to act in front of the boy. She swore she could feel a struggle between her elegant side and a more casual appearance. Perhaps it was due to her long day.

"It's no biggie." Ryuji waved his hand while resting his elbow on the counter, his chin on such hand in turn. "I was going to have ramen anyways. But food tastes better when with someone you know I suppose."

While waiting, all of them stayed silent. Whether it was due to a tense moment or just an awkward aura none of them knew. Ravel turned her head over to observe the human once more. It was very interesting seeing the very first male his age to try not to have a go at them for their sake of lusting. The boy acted… rather normal she had to describe despite his looks.

Ryuji meanwhile yawned, wondering how much longer it would have to be for the ramen to be ready.

Isabela meanwhile found herself switching her gaze between the human and her Devil charge. Seeing how Ravel was staring at the human, she still chose not to say anything.

Apparently, their moment of silence without any sort of verbal conversation was so long, their food was ready after a set amount of time. Ryuji was about to dig into his when he saw both Isabela and Ravel staring at it. "Something wrong?" He asked.

Ravel didn't bother looking at him in favor of keeping her gaze fixed on the noodles. "What kind of food is this?" She asked carefully, trying to say the right words in case she would insult nearby people due to her lacking knowledge.

Ryuji blinked. "You two never seen ramen before?"

"We've seen a pasta of similar shape. Is that helpful?" Ravel answered with a question after.

Ryuji looked up in though. "Funny. I think Yusuke said something similar before." He muttered to himself before waving his hand. "It's some pretty good stuff. Just take my word for it."

Ravel looked back with a skeptical look. "Is it really that good?" A spark of annoyance flashed within her when she found out she was being ignored but it was quickly squashed. This boy at least was kind by treating them to such food. Her getting angry with him wouldn't benefit her whatsoever.

Ravel and Isabela looked at each other before attempting to take the chopsticks provided for them. None of them verbally admitted it, but it was hard and slightly irksome to use such wooden utensils. But they didn't want to change their minds due to a slight stubbornness at the moment.

Gulping down a mouthful of food, Ryuji looked over to check up on them again and his gaze fell flat when seeing them be successful while fumbling around with their chopsticks. "Here, this is how you hold them. Moving them around is a tricky bit, but you can catch on fast. You can also ask for a fork if you need."

Watching Ryuji extend his hand, both Devils almost sighed as their eyes reluctantly looked towards the chopsticks in his fingers. Studying the grasp carefully, both girls attempted to move their fingers into the proper position he did. Ryuji was feeling pretty awkward at the moment as two girls were staring at his fingers with such intense focus.

Finally, after a bit of effort, Isabela and Ravel both managed to hold some noodles before sticking them I their mouths. Isabela looked normal while Ravel somehow looked both sophisticated and delicate.

Their eyes widened. "This had a pleasant taste." Ravel complimented.

"Very good." Isabela added.

Ryuji chuckled at their reactions. "Glad to see you girls like it." He commented as the three of them began to eat in silence.

But now, there was no tense silence like before. No awkward aura spaced them apart. None of them spoke. But then it was a rather pleasant mood they all felt. Mainly because their bellies were being filled with a good food.

After finishing while paying for their meal, Ryuji stood up. Isabela and Ravel did in turn as well. "So, how are you girls getting home?" The male blonde asked.

"By our own means." Ravel stated. She then looked away. "Thank you for your generosity today." She added quietly.

"You have my thanks as well." Isabela stated. "Many other humans saw our many predicaments, but you were the first to ever take action to aid us. We are both in a small debt of yours."

"Ahh, don't mention it." Ryuji shook his head. "Well… aww shit, this is a really weird situation." He rubbed his head. "I want to wish you guys luck in the Rating game later, but then I know you're both on the side against Gremory-san. But I feel sort of bad at least not saying something before parting ways."

Ravel just gave Ryuji a weird look due to his words. "I think we both understand the message." She deadpanned. It was then she realized something. There was a very high chance that they would never meet again.

Now that both her and Isabela had the information they wanted, there was no reason to ever visit the human world again. No need to ever come to the realm. There was a chance that was why Ryuji was acting strange. "Well, perhaps this is farewell." Ravel stated, clearing her throat. If this was where they parted, at least make it slightly memorable. "I, Ravel Phenex, am satisfied with your generosity. Your actions will not be forgotten."

Ryuji just stared at her blankly. After a while, he blinked in realization. "Huh? O-oh, right. Yeah, won't really forget about this day either and all." He added.

Seeing them nod their heads, Ryuji watched Ravel and Isabela walk into a large circle and disappear in a flash of flames.

"…Well this was a really weird thing to go through."

 **TakeABreak**

"And… done. How are feeling, Kurusu-kun?"

Azazel asked this question as soon as Akira made Arsene disappear as several weights fell from the air to the ground. The Persona was holding up the heavy objects before as it was another quick test of the capabilities of the summon.

Akira meanwhile looked over at Azazel. He had gone through a couple of procedures, filling out a form knowing and accepting the fact that he would be subjected to the stuff with his consent. Testing really wasn't bad although there were a few points to raise an eyebrow here and there.

"Who am I, what is my gender, and is my body in perfect order?" Akira asked.

Azazel must have been amused by Akira's words as the Fallen Angel grinned. "Your name is Akira Kurusu, you are male, and your body is cannot be in any greater condition. There was a small chance of testicular cancer I saw when I gave you that CAT scan, but I made quick work of it during one of your trials."

Wow… that was a lucky break then. "Thanks for that." Akira nodded his head in response.

"No problem. Can't have the great leader of the Phantom Thieves die at such a young age now otherwise I'd feel a bit guilty since I could have done something about it." The man waved his hand. "But let's go see if Morgana-kun is doing okay."

Akira nodded his head, wondering how his companion was doing at the moment. Walking through the rather spacious building (it was like the place he was living in, seemed bigger on the inside), they eventually made it to a room where Morgana in his Phantom Thief form was at work on something.

"Everything okay?" Akira asked.

Hearing his voice, the cat turned his head around. "Oh, hey." He greeted with a wave his paw. "How was the testing."

"It was a constant reminder of Takemi's experiments."

"…Huh…" Morgana only said, knowing almost full well what Akria was referring to when it came to that doctor. "Well, anyways, all the time you were going through those tests I finished a few various reserve ammo packs." The cat soon tossed the pouch he was working into a pile of the same pieces of equipment. "I even managed to make a few smokescreens as well."

"Well, well, fancy that." Azazel noted, looking inside the ammo packs to even seen that some of it was already filled with proper ammunition for airsoft guns. "To think you made this with iron sand, aluminum sheet, and red phosphorus. I never thought something could be made with that alone into this." He then turned his attention to the smoke bombs as well. "And these from thicker parchment and plant balm. How do you do it?"

"Trick of the trade, Azazel-san." Akira commented, looking inside while nodding his head. "Good, looks like this should be enough for a couple of them to carry total."

"Color me impressed with how you are helping out Rias Gremory's Peerage." Azazel folded his arm though as Akira and Morgana began to pack up almost all of the tools that were made except for one of each due to Azazel requesting that they leave one behind for studying. "For a Rating Game as well. Tell me, just what is your plan?"

"Just some bits here and there with some hope thrown in." Akira shrugged his shoulders as the Fallen Angel grinned at the attitude the boy displayed. "What the result truly rests on is their hard work and determination to win. We're just there for support."

Putting his school bag down, Morgana crawled in. Picking it up, Akira felt the cat shift around inside. Morgana poked his head out, body back in cat form, with a card in his mouth. "Remember this?" The cat asked, sounding a bit different with something in his mouth.

Akira blinked and looked at the card with a small fireball on it (Agi). "Oh yeah." He said in remembrance as he plucked the card out of the mouth.

Seeing the object being presented to him, Azazel leaned in closer to observe the card. "What is it?" He asked, trying to study the image.

"I was wondering if there is a project that you could do for us." Akira answered. "And it all revolves around cards like these."

 **Take that people who thought that there was going to be a Ryuji awakening.**

 **But those that think that moment with Ryuji, Ravel, and Isabela was forced, don't worry. I completely feel the same way as well. But I was still happy with the scene.**

 **This chapter was also supposed to be out two days ago, but then exhaustion from work and laziness got to me. But here we are.**

 **What is this mysterious project Akira wants Azazel to do? How will the Phantom Thieves help Rias and her Peerage? Who will be awakening next?**

 **No flames please.**


	16. Chapter 16

**I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.**

"So… I ran into Riser Phenex's sister and his Rook last night."

Everyone but Ryuji looked up from their breakfast.

There were now nine days for Rias and her Peerage to get ready for her Rating Game. Of course, despite wanting to help, all of the Phantom Thieves were still responsible people and had to attend school. That didn't stop them from coming up with the idea to go to the training place after school though. But then there had to be a schedule. No point in forcing so much onto the Devils when they already have their own stuff in mind. Just some tactics, tips, and tricks here and there as well as some kind of bullshit ideas about.

Yet, now in this morning… Ryuji's mention happened to have the boy gain a lot of attention from his fellow peers. "And you didn't say anything until now because…?" Ann asked, raising an eyebrow while trailing off to allow the boy to at least explain himself.

"Well, that's because nothing really happened." Ryuji answered, ripping apart a piece of bread in his mouth and chewed. Swallowing after a few seconds, he grabbed a glass of milk. "I just helped them out, treated them to some ramen, and then they left. That was it."

"…That's a pretty uneventful meeting." Morgana put bluntly.

"Speaking of meetings…" Makoto noted, looking over to Akira. The leader of the Phantom Thieves was nibbling on some eggs before turning his attention to the brunette of their group. "How was asking Azazel about that weapon and skill cards?"

Akira wiped his mouth. "Surprisingly pleasant." He commented, scraping some of the yolk onto his toast. "He looked pretty interested when I showed him the skill cards, but invested when it came down to an actual firing mechanism related to the subject. Makes me wonder how he's going to make them though."

"It will definitely help everyone out… provided that they practice enough with the firearms Akira still has. Add on the fact that they must also have good aim if there were to shoot the thrown cards." Yusuke said his own thoughts as he brushed some hair aside from his eyes. "I wonder though, will our weapons have an affect on Devils?"

"Iwai-san has taught me some ways to make our guns stronger with some simple tweaking and modifications here and there." Akira stated, remembering all those moments he spent having to work at that store the man owned. A lot of work, but the exchange was worth it. "I'll need some time here though to do it so my afternoon is taken. I'm not sure if it will be enough, but it could be something. If not, let's see if Azazel can help out with those special ones I got from Iwai."

"It won't be much, but I can come along with Mako-chan with some food so that I can cook for them. It would be a bit efficient if they were focused more on practice than chores." Haru raised her hand, willing to volunteer.

"Gremory-san said that there is already a lot of food at the place they are staying at. But the cooking part is a nice gesture." Makoto nodded her head. "Oh right, Yusuke, I did take some skill cards from the suitcase."

"It is no dire matter of immediate attention." The blue-haired male shook his head, allowing to let the analyst of the team know that it was okay. "As long as you left one copy of the card inside so I can attempt to create more, it is okay. Plus, there are so many blanks we found together in Mementos after unlocking so many treasure chests."

Akira felt a lot of pride after so much grinding in Futaba's Palace and creating the eternal lockpick. Aluminum sheets and liquid mercury were a pain in the ass to find though.

"I wonder if I should come along…" Ann looked down slightly, playing with her hair with concern. "Asia-chan's already been converted into a Devil by now. I just wonder how she's taken to it and all…"

"Then just tag along." Ryuji shrugged his shoulders, stating this in a matter-of-fact tone. "There's not really any harm in doing that. Maybe even given Asia-san a tip here and there since you were one our healers apart from Morgana." The boy then blinked and looked over. "Actually, why don't you go over there?"

The cat meanwhile was stuffing his face in some bacon. Realizing that he had to speak soon, Morgana coughed a bit. "Can't do that." He shook his head, a tiny bit of grease dribbling down his mouth. "Sitri-san said that she'd have a book ready for us about the Phenex clan today as well as some information about Riser Phenex's Peerage. I'm going to have to study them while Akira is working on the guns."

"Well, I want in on visiting that special training place." Futaba grabbed a napkin. Reaching over, she began to wipe Morgana's face. Ignoring his fussing, she wrapped an arm around the cat so he wouldn't be able to move around too much. "I want to see and help out Koneko-chan in any way I can! Plus, those Evil Pieces actually interest me considering those are used to created reincarnated Devils. I wonder if I can study it with Necronomicon."

"I'll have to decline on any requests on tagging along." Yusuke spoke out. "I have had a person request that I do an art piece of them in a certain style and background yesterday that I must do today." He closed his eyes, remembering the scenario. "She offered me a rather large sum of money if I were to fulfill her request and would add a bonus if she were happy with it. It would be an extremely good amount to add to our savings."

Akira stared at Yusuke. "You sound… eager." He commented.

"How could I not be?!" Yusuke exclaimed, his eyes opening up with an intense excitement. "The description she provided continued to flow through my head, a great model in sight that I must create! All night, I thought hard on how to please her! My lack of rest shall be well rewarded!"

"…I'll make some more coffee for you." Akira got up from his seat and walked towards the kitchen.

 **TakeABreak**

"…This is not what Cao Cao meant when he said make contact with one who could possibly be a Phantom Thief, Jeanne. Nor did I think this is what you had in mind."

A young man with black hair and spectacles simply chose the action to stare at a figure posing grandly in front of a canvas Yusuke had out as the blue-haired boy was too focused on his work. He wore a combination of a gakuran (Japanese schoolboy fall uniform) and a mage-style robe over such clothing. "To think this is how our first meeting would start."

"Now, Georg, I'm sure Jeanne has good intentions over his actions. After all, she did catch the attention of one close the Phantom Thieves. According to a couple of our sources who have been keeping an eye on Vali since that interesting church incident, his name is Yusuke Kitagawa who is related to such a group." A handsome young man with short black hair reassured the spectacled-male. He wore a uniform like the former boy but with ancient Chinese attire.

"Yet the boy has the nerve to only have his focus upon her. He hasn't even glanced at you or I since we arrived, Cao Cao." Georg commented.

A beautiful, young foreign lady with long blonde hair up in a somewhat wavy ponytail that ended at a little below the nape of her neck sat with a cunning expression on a chair. Her bangs covered her forehead and two strands of hair hung out of her ponytail and reached a little above her chest. In a comfortable pose that looked like she was holding something, her body language almost looked natural. Her slightly petite stature stayed still and perfect frozen in a pose. Her attire seemed to be some kind of blue and white dress that presented her cleavage with tight, black shorts on. A single, long white sock climbed up one of her legs as she completed the look with pointed ankle-boots.

Yusuke meanwhile was indeed focused on the art that he was creating, a beautiful picture of a lady among nature. How he pictured everything in his mind was spread into the physical world. His brush moved with wild instincts yet purpose. His eyes opened and closed every few seconds, but never did his tool stop moving.

"Kitagawa-kun, was it?" Cao Cao attempted to approach, standing a pretty fair distance away from the blue-haired boy. He didn't want to seem like he was interfering with the work being done. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Cao Cao and these are my partners, Georg and Jeanna." George only narrowed his eyes while Jeanna nodded with an even brighter, smile that seemed fake before Yusuke slightly scolded her.

"Jeanne-san, could you please not move?" Yusuke asked, too invested in his art. It was hard to tell if he was even listening to the person talking to him or not. "I could possibly end up making your chin or face a bit bigger and longer if you accidentally shift your body."

"I'm sorry, Yu-kun." The blonde female apologized, the words sang out not even sounding the least bit apologetic.

"I am sure, Kitagawa-kun, that you are aware that the threat to mankind is not our own species. It is the Devils, the Angels, even dragons and gods." Cao Cao continued to speak on. "I feel that it is my job to push mankind to be able to compete and protect ourselves from the supernatural threat that these beings pose. I've been recruiting humans with especially extraordinary talents to assist me in my goal. I would love to have you and the Phantom Thieves join us."

If he was disappointed, Cao Cao did not show it when Yusuke answered him. "If you wish to speak to me, could you perhaps wait until I am finished near your companion but not too close." The blue-haired male asked, his eyes slightly narrowing down into an irked look. "You are ruining my concentration."

"Ah, of course, my apologies." Cao Cao nodded his head. Raising a hand before Georg could protest, he led his ally to the side and away from Yusuke. At a distance, far enough to be around Jeanne but not able to see most of Yusuke, the two people waited from the painter to be done with his work.

Behind the canvas, hidden, Yusuke stopped for a bit. Letting out an irritated sound as a ploy, he reached over to his phone. He soon began typing a quick message.

 _[Visited by human strangers that claim to know I'm a Phantom Thief. Have odd goals with strange reasons.]_

Pocketing his phone, he began to get back to work before they could suspect something. He still had magnificent art to finish after all.

 **TakeABreak**

"Thank you for your help, Sitri-san."

Akira held out his hand and Sona placed a book in his palm. With a small bow, Sona began to walk back to the student council room due to work needing to be finished. Ignoring the small complaints from Morgna about there being not much space for him, Akira fitted the object into his bag. Hearing a buzz soon though, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone and read a message sent by Yusuke.

"Hmm…" The black-haired boy hummed and Morgana poked his head out to read the screen.

 **TakeABreak**

The afternoon sun kept its way over a few mountains in the distance, slowly descending behind them. In the faint rays of the light, a group of people were standing outside a lavish looking villa among the trees of the forest. In front of the villa was a large sparkling pond surrounded by a ring of freshly trimmed bushes. Off to the side of the pond was a cluster of Roman columns, not really sure what their purpose was but they were probably just for decoration.

Standing in front of the villa in a large patch of grass was the Occult Research Club. Everyone was in their training clothes, which was pretty much PE clothing, and were ready for their aid from the Phantom Thieves. Some looked more tired than others, namely Issei. As the members stood in a line, Rias meanwhile had just finished creating a summoning circle. Stepping back, a flash of red blinded them briefly before Makoto, Ann, Futaba, and Haru were all standing before them.

"Welcome to the private training grounds of the Gremory family, Phantom Thieves." Rias greeted all of the females of the group as each of them looked up with surprise at their surroundings.

"…Are those Roman columns?" Haru asked, looking to the side.

All of the girls from Tokyo looked over to where Haru was looking and indeed saw what the heiress described. "Huh… Perhaps Gremory-san's family is very diverse in many cultures." Makoto noted with a tilt of her head due to thinking.

"Gremory-san is really addicted to our Japanese stuff." Futaba muttered.

Rias, to save time among other things, coughed into her hand to grab their attention. "While it is nice to admire the scenery, this is not exactly the reason you came all the way here." She asked the four girls who continued to still stand in the same place. The red-head soon noticed a couple of bags that both Haru and Makoto were carrying. "What are those?"

Seeing Rias point to the stuff they were carrying, Makoto decided to be the one to answer. "Oh. Haru brought some ingredients over so that she could cook for you all to give more time to focus on training and such. As for me…" Trailing off, the female brunette decided to let the items speak for themselves. Dropping the large bag, she rummaged around before pulling out a replica of a revolver she first had when she became a Phantom Thief.

All of the Occult Research Club were in complete surprise when they saw Makoto pull out the firearm. "Is that a freaking gun?!" Issei exclaimed, pointing at the weapon dramatically. "Why the hell do you have that?! How the hell do you have that?!"

Makoto blinked. "Did you forget that we use guns?"

"Guns created from Personas if I remember what Akira-kun had vaguely told me." Rias decided to answer, raising an eyebrow at Makoto's nonchalance. "But what Issei-kun is trying to ask, is how in the world did you get your hands on real guns?"

Again, Makoto blinked. "Real guns?" She asked, looking down to the item in her hand. "Oh, that's what you mean." Commenting to herself, the girl looked back up to Rias and her Peerage. "These are all airsoft. None of them are real… Well, at least not these ones. They just look like the actual thing. Here, you all can even take a look for yourselves."

Seeing the Phantom Thief female wave them over, each of the Devils looked at themselves before slowly walking forward. Haru handed out a replica of a pistol, an assault rifle, and a shotgun to Kiba, Akeno, and Asia in the respected order. Makoto meanwhile handed a fake SMG over to Rias while passing the revolver to Issei. Futaba fished a grenade launcher out of the bag meanwhile and jogged over to Koneko.

"Here you go, Koneko-chan." Futaba handed the weapon over to the smaller girl who lifted it with ease as well as a curious expression. "I think you'll like this one. Oh! Maybe even a shotgun!"

"…" Koneko looked up at Futaba before looking down at the firearm that had just been placed into her hand. Raising the grenade launcher in her hands, she aimed down the sights a bit. Putting it down, Koneko tapped Asia on the shoulder. With a small, non-verbal exchange with arm movement and head gesturing, Asia gave Koneko the shotgun gingerly.

Asia was soon handed a slingshot from Ann.

Koneko continued to stare at the two powerful items on her person. Blinking for a few seconds, she looked back at Futaba. "…They're cool." She said with a nod of her head and Futaba cheered while hugging the white-haired girl.

"Hmm…" Kiba hummed with a bit of concern, looking closely at the pistol Akira once used. Despite the claim, the swordsman was still unsure about the fact that these weapons being real or not. They looked like the real deal to him. "Will these actually affect Riser Phenex's Peerage?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Those guns, extremely unlikely." Makoto said in a matter-of-fact tone, getting a look from the blonde-Devil. She sighed when she saw his face ask for an explanation. "We don't exactly want you guys to accidentally injure one another with the real deal. Not only that, but Akira is modifying a few so they will end up being more effective."

"Will the… real thing actually affect Riser's Peerage though?" Rias pointed out slowly, slightly taken aback that the Phantom Thieves indeed had genuine firearms. "I mean, perhaps Pawns. But other pieces worry me. A Rook and Queen being primary examples."

"We have an associate helping out with that issue." Makoto said quickly, not exactly sure if it was a good idea if she should inform Rias about Azazel or not. But seeing how Sona acted and reacted to them about the issue about the Fallen Angels compared to Rias, it was Makoto's decision to keep it a secret. Perhaps the reveal would be a bit later.

"Come on, what are we waiting for? Let's go shoot some stuff!" Futaba exclaimed, dragging Koneko along while allowed the action and looking over the shotgun plus grenade launcher at the same time.

 **TakeABreak**

"…Not bad I guess."

Ann had to slowly say this, as indeed, it was not that bad.

With several trees marked up as targets, each of them took turns to fire at the trunks. Most of them managed to hit it, but in rapid succession was a problem. When it came down to having to fire at multiple targets within a certain time… it was probably better not to ask.

"I doubt that me using a gun is a good idea." Kiba stated, raising his hands so that they were far away from the firearm he used. "I'm more of a swordsman rather than a firearm fighter."

"My magic is all I need, so I do not require such." Akeno shook her head but still smiled. "It is still a nice thought though that you came up with."

"I suppose it would be handy for me to keep at least something on hand just in case I'm alone." Rias nodded slowly, looking at the SMG in her hands. Moving her hand back and forth, she had to admire the look of the replica even though it looked so real..

Koneko just stared at the shotgun in her hands while the grenade launcher was slung around her back with a quick modification with some spare cloth. Sitting down, she leaned against a sitting Futaba who was in her Phantom Thief outfit with Necronomicon out, metal tentacles holding onto an Evil Rook Piece as green screens surrounded the hacker's front. "…I like these." Koneko said.

"See? What did I tell you Koneko-chan?" Futaba turned around while flashing a smile before getting back to her work. She soon began making sounds as if she just discovered something interesting or something mischievous came up in her mind.

Asia stared down at the slingshot in her hands meanwhile, with a slightly conflicted expression. "Umm…" She timidly looked up towards Ann who was standing nearby. "I… I feel fine using this." She said. "But I'm not used to using a weapon."

"It's fine, Asia-chan." Ann walked over with a reassuring smile. "It takes some getting used to after all. Nobody is good at anything right away."

"Unless you count Issei." Futaba noted from the side.

Soon everyone began to look over towards the brunette who was standing right next to Makoto. As Issei pulled the trigger and hit a trunk dead in the center, he easily pulled the hammer of the revolver back with his thumb while shooting another tree with his other armed hand. With extremely good coordination, the boy moved his arms back and forth pulling the trigger while reloading in perfect succession. Soon, twelve trees all had perfect, single holes in the center of their bodies.

"You got pretty used to using a revolver, Issei-san. But to be able to manage two like that is very impressive." Makoto nodded her head.

"Heh, thanks Makoto-senpai." The boy scratched the back of his head with a bit of a blush, not really used to compliments from beautiful girls.

"However," Makoto grabbed one of the revolver while setting it to the ground. With only one gun in his right hand. "With one gun, a better way to reload is…"

Shifting over towards his back, Makoto ended up pressing her chest against his back while trying to show Issei how to fan the hammer. It slightly startled Issei, having to try and get a bit more used to one of the girls trying to beat him for peeking before be so close to him. In the middle of listening, he began to feel something soft against his back and his mind began to drift off into another world.

Soon, Makoto saw this and figured out what the boy was thinking as soon as she realized what she was doing. Issei ended up eating dirt when Makoto punched the back of his head.

"He's surprisingly good with his fingers and hands." Rias commented.

"Probably because of all the perverted things he fantasises about and tries to attempt." Koneko added.

 **TakeABreak**

"Oh… this is absolutely magnificent, Yu-kun!"

Ignoring the misuse of honorifics, Yusuke took the great compliment the blonde girl he had just painted.

Within a background of greenery, Jeanne was pointed to look like she was sitting on a small rock bank. But then her single sock and boots were off since the legs were in a pool of clear, cool water. One hand rested on the natural, hard surface. Her other hand meanwhile was holding a single butterfly that was a color the greatly complimented the setting.

"And thank you for all the hard work. I love it!" Jeanne continued to gush as she handed a good amount of bills to the boy. Taking the money, Yusuke looked over the cash before nodding his head with satisfaction.

"Thank you for you patronage." Yusuke bowed, placing the bills into his wallet. Pocketing the money holder, he looked at his phone and raised an eyebrow. But soon he looked up and saw two people staring at him, one with patience while the other had eyes narrowed in slightly irritation.

"Are you perhaps prepared to listen what I have to say now?" Cao Cao asked, his hands to his side as a sign of good will.

"I have listened to what you have to say, as it was in the back of my head for a while now… much to my dismay since I think it ended up ruining the quality of my painting." Yusuke said with a sigh, unsure if he ended up insulting the boy or not. "So… Cao Cao-san, correct? Just how did you come to your conclusion that I am this Phantom Thief?"

"I apologize if it sounds like bad, Kitagawa-kun, but I can assure you that it was with the purest of intentions." Cao Cao smoothly replied. "We have actually been keeping an eye on you 'Phantom Thieves when our sources found about your crossing and events with Asia Argento, a female who we thought we should ask for aid from."

Yusuke sighed. "Are you willing to walk with me while we speak?" He asked. Earning a nod from the black-haired male, Yusuke began to step forward at a moderate pace. But then he slowed down so that he and Cao Cao traveled at the same speed with Georg and Jeanne close behind them. "So you have been spying on us, hmm?"

"Not recently." Cao Cao assured him.

The blue-haired boy hummed as they all slowly passed buildings. "You say that your goal is for the advancement of the human species, correct? That the threat to mankind is not ourselves, but all being of supernatural origin." He glanced over to the person he was having a conversation with. "While your goal is admirable, you forget one thing. They are not just Devils, Angels, dragons, or gods, but also humanity itself."

"Are you speaking against your own kind?" Georg asked, having to fiddle around with his glasses due to the movement of walking shaking it around. "You and the Phantom Thieves do seem to have a close relationship with the Devils. Are you perhaps already stating that you have chosen a side from the start of Cao Cao's words?"

"I am not stating anything like that." Yusuke said firmly, his eyes narrowing slightly. That one look made Cao Cao glance over to his companion and the glasses-wearing male went silent. "From experience, humanity can possibly create its own downfall from just the act of living through their day to day lives."

"…" Cao Cao let out a thoughtful breath, nodding with Yusuke to perhaps appease the boy. "The Great War," He soon began to speak. "The Angels, of both kinds, and the Devils found for a long time. We humans were nothing to them. Those of us caught in the middle of the conflict were slaughtered indiscriminately. Those of us who survived were used as pawns by all three sides."

"…It only took one war… One war for them to all realize their mistake and repair the damages that have been done to their own factions." Yusuke said after a moment of silence, his brain having to work hard to think. "What about the humans? How many wars have been fought for how many reasons? Try and tell me how many were caught within between the factions of humanity? Devils and Angels, a rivalry with reason. Humanity, murdering fellow mortals and taking advantage of the ladder of life for so much less."

"Oh my, just like your brush, it seems you have a way with words." Jeanne soon smiled, gaining a brief moment of attention. "But when did words get anyone anywhere?"

"With something like that said, wouldn't your leader's own sentences become mundane?" Yusuke fired back with a raised eyebrow.

"And so serious." Jeanne seemed to tease the blue-haired boy. But to Yusuke, it was more of a form that was close or did represent mockery. "Here I believed that our deal had brought us closer."

"That is simply an opinion." Yusuke replied. "Though it does make me wonder…" He slowly turned towards Cao Cao. Seeing their surroundings, he stopped which prompted the people around him to do the same thing. "Just how far are you willing to achieve your goals? You said you have been gathering humans with extraordinary talents to assist in your goal."

"…" Cao Cao went silent, wondering what he should say next.

Due to that quiet moment though, it clicked in Yusuke's mind. "You plan to start a war of you own." He concluded.

Cao Cao stood in through, contemplating his next move. "That is correct." He nodded his head, in a bit of a solemn mood as if in regret.

A frown was etched on the artist's face. "You-"

"You think that I would want an outcome as such?" Cao Cao asked back, his tone a bit harsher than before. "We have seen what the supernatural can do to our species. But what can our species do about it? Even if they were just normal before, how would it feel to be thrown into a world like this? To be killed and then resurrected by their killer? To soon face the hatred of the Angels and the Fallen? Such dismissive attitudes towards our people shall be stopped. For that as well as for humanity to protect themselves, we heroes must rise and stand before the supernatural threats." Raising his hand, he held it out. "So what is your answer, Yusuke Kitagawa of the Phantom Thieves? Will you also be the heroes of humanity?"

Yusuke weighed the words within himself. Such thoughts gravitated inside his mind. With no surprise, his decision was already made. He watched eyes with anticipation. They reminded him of feral dogs roaming around, waiting, judging.

The Phantom Thief soon began to laugh.

It startled the three who represented heroes. They did not expect such… a response from the blue-haired artist. At least they had expected a small chuckle from the boy judging by his nature. It was close. But this was barking with such an emotion. He found this conversation… Cao Cao's words… entertaining?

"How amusing…" Yusuke closed his eyes, finding his composure soon afterwards. His hand rested on his stomach due to laughing a bit hard in his own way. "While you do seem like a good person with that small speech, that still does not cover up the fact that the things you have said that they have done humans have done the same if not worse. The truth is stranger than fiction." He soon opened up his eyes into a narrowed gaze that caused Jeanne and Georg to step back while the former had a magic circle appear and drew a rapier from it. "No one can judge Angels and Devils for the crimes they commit when we too have committed such heinous acts! I will not be blind by your honeyed words, and continue to see the authenticity of humanity!"

" _ **You Have Finally Come Back to Your Senses, Correct?"**_

Yusuke heard the voice inside his head. A voice that sounded like him but was different in tone he almost mistook it for someone else. But a split second after the question, he felt it pulse inside.

" _ **Your Eyes Never Parted from the Truth…"**_

"Ngh!" Gripping his skull, Yusuke gritted his teeth as he hissed at the pain of his head feeling like it was going to burst. It did nothing to help though as the intensity was too much. Shaking his head in a manner only he would do, the action was another way to express the pain he was in.

" _ **An Incredibly Fickle Thing Indeed…"**_

"…What in the world?" Georg muttered loud enough for the three of them to hear over Yuskue's constant breath through his teeth. He then began to look around them. "Is someone attacking us, deciding to target Yusuke Kitagawa first?"

"That shouldn't be possible." Jeanne frowned, also trying to check out the setting they were at. But not a single soul was in sight. "I can't really feel any presences either. Does that mean that this is a natural thing?" She then eyed the blue-haired boy. "Can't say I feel sorry for him though."

" _ **Very Good That You Have Not Changed…!"**_

He couldn't hold it in. "A-aaaagh!" He cried out, a powerful pulse banging against his brain. He threw his head up as his voice of pain was released. Looking up to the sky with closed eyes and hands still on his head, he soon slowly lost strength in his legs. Slowly descending down, he ended up on all fours.

" _ **Allow Me to Remind You of Our Contract…"**_

The heroes only watched with curiosity while keeping a sharp eye out in their surroundings. Yusuke's body shoot, trembling like a leaf in a storm. Cao Cao had frowned at the display the entire time. "Are you okay?" He asked.

" _ **I Am Thou, Thou Art I..."**_

Hearing a small grinding noise, Cao Cao looked down and saw that Yusuke was digging his fingers and nails into the pavement. But the friction the boy created was so strong it actually made the fingers bleed from the tips as streaks of blood were seen on the street.

" _ **It's Your Time…"**_

" _ **Teach Them the True Meaning of Beauty and Ugliness of the World!"**_

Yusuke's head suddenly shot up, and a fox mask appeared over top half of his face within a flash of blue flames.

The narrowed gaze the fox mask presented put the three heroes on a bit of an edge. But the yellow pupils that were presented was almost a dangerous look. The three humans who stood across from Yusuke, preparing themselves for something. They didn't know what was to come, but they had a feeling.

"Of course…" Yusuke said quietly, nodding his head slightly. Turning to his side, he grabbed the mask with one of his hands. "Come… Goemon!"

Ripping his mask off, he tossed the object away while holding his arms out in a presentable manner in the middle of a pillar of blue flames. As the bright intensity began to die down, something was behind Yusuke and had its back towards them.

It was garbed in what seemed to be a large, red kimono with sleeves rolled up to present its grey arms and white gloves. The chest was exposed, revealing a pattered white and black outfit underneath and it went down to the feet as it appeared below the waist like a loincloth. Dark-purple pants were slightly baggy as a pair of white boots and wooden sandals with extremely long soles. It looked like it was either wearing or had over its shoulders a gigantic dark-blue coat with light-blue highlights. Wrapped around its waist meanwhile was tied together with a red and white designed rope. A white and dark-purple rope also was there, wrapped around the shoulder and armpits while it created a fancy bow at the back.

Its face was pale-white, and a ice-blue chin-guard was attached to its head while armor was at the back of the skull. On top of the head though was what appeared to be a large pompadour. But despite the… flamboyant look, there was one thing that made it stand out even more. There was a giant white and gold pipe in its hands with a golden floral design near the area where lips are put.

With its arms apart while suddenly turning around, it posed as Yusuke was suddenly a part of the grand scene that was currently happening.

A high collared, puff-sleeved blck jumpsuit with a white fox tail attached off-centre to a striped sash worn across his hips was what almost took over his body. His collar bone was exposed along with a little bit of his chest, showing that there was nothing underneath it. With hands on his hips while looking down to hide his look, the heroes also saw he was wearing white motorcycle boots and bright blue gloves.

First, he stomped on the ground. That action brought the heroes back to reality as their eyes began to look up at the boy's face. Bringing his hands up slowly, he then spread them apart as if presenting something before him. Still wide, his eyes finally opened into a look different than his neutral gaze. "What a superb view…"

Hearing him speak, none of them bother to respond though, they were too busy looking at him and his Persona as the large construct began to balance on the tall, wooden sandals it wore while holding the pipe in an amusing way. His hands slowly trailed horizontally, words easily taken note of due to attention mainly on him. "You claim yourselves to be heroes due to your so-called noble act." Yusuke then placed his hands down. But your accusations against Devils and Angels prove nothing, as you are willing to perform acts that they have done. Such is a disgusting act of hypocrisy!"

No one noticed Goemon shift its positioning to almost match Yusuke's. After finishing his sentence, he immediately waved one of his hands backwards. His Persona mimicked the actions, and a small blizzard started as cold winds and snow blew towards the three heroes.

All of them raised their arms or weapons to defend themselves. After the quick wind passed, they looked down to see that their feet were frozen to the pavement below them while ice slightly encased their skin. "Ugh, so he has ice powers…" Jeanne moaned as she began to chip her way out of her cold binds.

Cao Cao unshielded his eyes, unaffected by the cold. "So… this is your decision…" His gaze narrowed. "You decide to side with the supernatural causes. You have turned your back against humanity."

Yusuke narrowed his eyes in turn. "How many hearts will be broken? He asked, closing his eyes before taking a deep breath. "How many lives shattered?" A second later, his slightly angered gaze was directed back at Cao Cao. "How much blood will spill until you are finished? How long will such a war be fought for?!" Yusuke's hands balled up into fists. "If you are to be heroes, then know that the Phantom Thieves will gladly play the role as the villains!"

Raising his left hand, his lowered right one behind him was holding a weapon. A tall katana that was perhaps his height. But the blade was still inside its beautiful, red sheath. The cover of the blade however was breath-taking, a design of flames made out of gold took over nearly three-quarters of the item. Gold casing also took up both ends of the sheath as well. Such shiny metal also made up the hilt of the katana while taking over the bottom of the handle, forming a design of a small wagon wheel with flame designs on top of it.

Despite its heavenly appearance, Usumidori came from the human Yoshitsune.

"…One last chance." Cao Cao threatened quietly, his hand being held out with a spear equipped all of a sudden. "One last chance to join us. If not, then we have no choice but to take care of you right here."

Watching the three heroes face him, getting ready to fight here and now soon, they expected the person to surrender. But instead of that, Yusuke began to chuckle once more. "If I may ask, what makes you say that?"

Georg raised an eyebrow. "…What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that you really shouldn't have allowed me to look at my phone to be able to come up with an ambush plan."

Hearing the clicking of a gun, the three heroes turned around and saw Akira and Morgana both in their Phantom Thief outfits while having their ranged weapons at the ready. Not only that, but both Arsene and Zorro were out with the former having its hands folded while the latter presented its rapier. Hearing another click, the heroes looked back at Yusuke pointing a weapon at them.

The gun was an assault rifle, almost looking like an actually military firearm. The body was sleek, the entire thing almost like a piece of planed wood; flat and smooth. It even nearly held the same thickness as such. It held a dark, military-green or brown color with the barrel being seen at the end. Aiming down a scope that was provided by the gun, Yusuke rested the stock of the weapon against his shoulder. While one hand was holding the firearm for support, the other was for the trigger. Between the two hands, the magazine for the weapon was lodged in an already loaded.

For a rather unholy weapon and appearance, Heaven's Gate was created by one of the Angels of Heaven, Uriel.

"We will give you a warning now." Akira stated, his finger firmly curled around the trigger of his pistol. "But if we ever meet again, it will have to be as enemies. As our enemies, we will be there to make sure that you understand where we stand."

"Hmph." Jeanne nearly scoffed in amusement. "We-"

"I understand." Cao Cao cut Jeanne off, closing his eyes. He didn't know if all of the Phantom Thieves were around. It could have just been those three, but then he didn't want to risk three versus seven. "It is beyond pointless to try and convince the Phantom Thieves to join the heroes. It's as you put it, Kitagawa-san, you are the villains compared to us heroes. I will respect your decision and choose not to pursue such an issue any further." He then turned his face to his companions. "Georg, Jeanne, we are leaving."

"But-"

"Of course, Cao Cao." Georg cut Jeanne off.

As the three heroes began to walk away slowly, the three Phantom Thieves didn't let them out of their sights until they disappeared from their gazes.

"…Why do I have a feeling that they are going to be a much bigger problem than I think they're going to be." Yusuke asked Akira and Morgana.

 **Yes, I introduced the heroes in a completely terrible way. While Yusuke was originally going to have awaken Goemon during the Exorcist Arc… an idea came up that I want to do. And that idea requires all of the Phantom Thieves by the end of the first season of HighSchoolDxD. So yeah…**

 **Also Issei is surprisingly proficient with guns… especially the revolver.**

 **No flames please.**


	17. Chapter 17

**I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.**

Akira, Morgana, and Yusuke all had warned not only their fellow Phantom Thieves, but also the Devils and Fallen Angels privately towards one another of the visit from this Hero Faction. The Phantom Thieves found it a bit worrying. People like them did not reveal themselves until they were sure of something, and their confidence and bearing only added to that notion. While they had not told the three male Phantom Thieves what organization they belonged to, it was suspected to be something bigger than just a few humans.

On the side of the Devils, Sona and Rias both reacted differently as expected when receptively told. Sona agreed that it was a bit of a foreboding moment, but such a group would not dare challenge any of the factions outright yet still it was good to be wary. It would be suicidal to try and fight without the necessary power, something that these heroes must have had if they came into contact with the Phantom Thieves. Rias too was worried, but then was too occupied with her own predicaments at the same time that the humans decided to drop the subject in favor of helping her.

Azazel however was interested in such as he actually pulled out some information that he had been looking into. Apparently, the heroes may actually be a part of something called the Khaos Brigade. Such group was supposedly a terrorist organization made up of Devils, Fallen Angels, humans, and even a few unfallen Angels. The humans part of what Akira dubbed a cult (it was a spur of the moment) was suspected to be these very heroes they had interacted with. But a question remained though.

What were they doing in such a group in the first place if their goals were claimed to be different than the chaos they caused?

 **TakeABreak**

The clearing was in the middle of the forest, surrounded by lush vegetation, and bordered by dense undergrowth. It was a secluded place, far from prying eyes. Had all the male Phantom Thieves not had a summoning circle to teleport them it would have been hard to navigate through for the first time. Credit had to be given. Rias knew how to pick secret locations. All the guys' gazes wandered around the surrounding scenery, taking note of the kicked up dirt on the ground and the deep, charred marks on the trees that could not have been made naturally followed by multiple holes. Some of them were fresh. But that was all within reason. Just when they arrived with the females, Rias had told them this was where they went to practice with their Sacred Gears and firearms given. A place where they trained as a team and tested out new strategies.

Everyone soon began to start their own things though when such a place was revealed. Haru immediately went towards the large wooden cabin, ready to prepare a meal for all of the Devils and humans around. Futaba sat down on a log, Necronomicon already out with her Phantom Thief outfit on while studying several green screens all displaying data over an Evil Piece. With Makoto, she helped Rias, Issei, and Koneko practice with their decided firearms. Yusuke, with his new status as a Phantom Thief back in action, decided to practice with Kiba to see how one would fare against the other and problem would be pointed out whether they be for him of the blonde Devil. Ann went with Akeno to try and work out possible skill card uses. Morgana was assigned to be with Asia, probably to help her with tactics if she were caught in the open. Ryuji was assigned to creating a workout regimen since he probably created one himself when once a part of the track team. Akira meanwhile studied up on the Phenex family and heritage, going over various strategies with Rias.

That was only when there were eight days left. As time passed, the training began to become slightly more variant due to the schedule Ryuji ended up making when they had seven more days to train. Most of the Devils though had it easy due to being used to fighting.

Rias did need to work on many tactics due to her admittance that she mainly relied on the power of Bael. Akeno had to be reminded countless times to stop with her sadistic toying at times unless she wanted to use up all her power on a worthless enemy and not have enough magic for a more important target. Koneko mainly had a problem with speed due to her nature as a Rook making her naturally slow. Kiba meanwhile was fairly naïve when it came down to fighting, a mindset that had to be quickly changed. Asia mainly had an issue of stamina and where to be when in the midst of all the fighting which was sorted out by Morgana who was both healer and navigator of the Phantom Thieves before Futaba took over the latter role.

Issei was more of an… interesting issue. His proficiency with revolvers of all of the guns was impressive. Many of them thought that it was natural talent that Issei could use the weapons with precision when each of the Phantom Thieves first gained their weapons during their awakenings. Koneko however, which was a bit more of a logical one despite it being a blunt insult, voiced her opinion that all of the perverted things the brunette imagined doing helped his fingers. With fantasies of fondling and groping breasts, all that finger and hand movement probably played out into such dexterity.

Issei almost cried at how it was most likely that explanation rather than having natural talent.

But it was not only that. Since Issei had the Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet, he had to work on his stamina. This led to some brutal exercising as the boy tattled on Rias to the Phantom Thieves who would just stared at the exasperated red-head about it.

That was not the only thing though. It was a gauntlet Issei used after all. That meant that the boy at least had to have some good fighting experience in. Kiba and Koneko tried their own ways to give him a good idea what to experience during a fight. While that was good, it didn't really help Issei adapt to fighting back since almost all he could do was run and miss. That was when Makoto suggested that the male brunette also learn a bit of aikido from her. Despite the nervous protests of the Devil, Makoto still went on with it.

It was learned that despite being proficient with firearms, Issei struggled to learn the basics from Makoto. The female Persona-user wasn't a bad teacher really, she was actually a decent one. It was just that Issei had a hard time learning and pulling it all off.

 **TakeABreak**

Only a few days were left and Azazel was waiting in a room for his guest to show up. It took him about five days with no rest or focus on anything else, but then he had managed to do it. Hearing a sharp knock on his door, the sound drew him from his thoughts. Getting up off of the couch he was sitting on, he walked over to the door. Turning the knob and opening the wooden barrier, he found Akira standing casually behind it with Morgana poking his head out of a bag.

"You got the stuff?" Akira asked and Azazel grinned at the joke.

Gesturing with his head, Azazel ushered the two Phantom Thieves inside where the reason for the request to come over laid. The project that Akira had challenged Azazel had finally been completed.

On the table sat some revolver of sorts. Instead of a chamber for six bullets, there were six slots to replace them. Sitting right next to it though were several skill cards that were rather lined up in a neat and orderly fashion. The display was simple, but the items held a lot more of a larger value than many would think.

"Out of all of the weapons to model it after, I felt like a revolver was the most appropriate both appearance and mechanic-wise." Azazel passed the weapon over to Akira. As the teenager eyed the firearm, the Fallen Angel grinned. "Want to test to see if it's up to your satisfaction?"

"Yeah, why not." Akira answered, nodding his head. The three left the room and eventually arrived to some kind of firing range of sorts.

"This area is probably the best we can use for something like that." Azazel pointed at the gun in Akira's hands. "Originally, the room is just for our fellow Fallen to just practice throwing spears or to vent out some frustration. Should still be able to serve a purpose to help us though."

Morgana meanwhile crept out of the bag as he looked up towards the firearm in Akira's possession and it made the cat think. "Will that be able to withstand the power of an actual skill card spell though?" He asked, tilting his head. "I can see that for a few spells that affect the status of a target, but what about elemental or physical like an Agi or a Cleave?"

"I've already tested the durability on that many times." Azazel explained, rolling his hand around. "But from what I can understand, those cards that you gave me are weaker spells. While I used some pretty strong stuff to make that, I'm not sure how it will actually fare when firing a stronger attack. But the actual spell does not affect the item itself. Gunshot attacks also work like so. However, shooting a physical move like this Cleave you mention… well…" He paused to think about what to say. "It doesn't actually shoot anything. That's where this part comes in."

Beckoning for the weapon, Azazel waited for Akira to pass it over to him. As soon as the metal was placed into his hands, Azazel flipped the gun over so that he was holding it by the barrel. With his thumb swiping the handle, a small dial-wheel with grooves that Akira didn't notice at all before moved and a quick small screen. "See this icon?" Azazel asked.

Akira bent forward and recognized the picture. "That's supposed to be a Flash Bomb attack." He observed.

Azazel nodded while smiling. "Inside the handle are several of the physical skill card attacks you provided for me. As you can see next to the icon, there is also the amount to show you how many cards of that move are left. How to use them though…" Looking to the side to see that they were next to a wall, he slammed the butt of the revolver against the wall and a large explosion followed by light engulfed the area they were in. Fortunately for Azazel, he knew it was coming so he already had his eyes closed while keeping his feet firmly planted in place.

Akira and Morgana however did not know what was going to happen and ended up being blasted a few feet away from the point of impact. Blinking, Azazel realized his mistake. "Whoops, are you both okay?" He asked.

"Oi, give us a warning at least! Why would you do such a thing?!" Morgana exclaimed. "He asks up if we are okay while we are partially blinded by the equivalent of a concussion bomb and blown away by the strength of a hand grenade." He grumbled after, still hearing a bit of ringing in his ears.

Akira however remained silent as he blinked rapidly while shaking his head at the same time. Instead of answering, he got up and walked over towards Azazel. Holding his hand out, he waited for Azazel to get the message and was passed the weapon. Looking over it slowly, he looked at the wall before tapping it lightly on the surface.

"Of course, there need to be a certain amount of strength to be able to activate the-"

Azazel was unable to finish his sentence as Akira slammed the butt of the gun against the Fallen Angel's cheek hard so the Fallen Angel felt both the power and effects of current skill card.

 **TakeABreak**

Issei sighed to himself as he applied another bandage to his body.

Sure, he could have had Asia heal him, but it was late at night and the blonde was asleep. Not only that, but the brunette had to assume that all of the other Phantom Thieves were back at home to get some sleep before going back to school.

But in the middle of patching himself up, he began to think to himself. He learned a few things here and there during his training with everyone. Five days he had made a few discoveries. He had no talent for swords. He had no talent for hand-to-hand combat. He had no talent for magical power. The only thing he was good at was gunplay.

While that last one could be more of a positive, he was ill-equipped for such. He doubted those fake guns that he practiced with wouldn't even make Riser and his Peerage flinch upon impact. The Phantom Thieves claimed that real guns should be enough to hurt a Devil well enough after some tweaking and modifications. But would it really do the trick?

If not… he was useless in this Peerage. Nothing more than a meat shield.

Staring at how dirty his hands were, it made him frown. It was purely dirty from being thrown around by Makoto and trying to throw her while not doing as well. All of that calluses… all that work yet he was still where he was in terms of strength.

Deciding to maybe go for a drink to calm his nerves, he got off his bed and began to walk down the halls. Entering the kitchen, he was surprised to see that there was another occupant inside who was rummaging through the fridge. "…Ann-senpai?" Issei asked.

Within the fridge light, the blonde Phantom Thief turned around and her eyes shot up with a bit of surprise. "Issei-kun? You're still up?" Ann asked, pulling out a bottle of milk. Unscrewing the cap, she sniffed it carefully before taking a sip. "Can't sleep or something?"

"…Something like that… Actually, what are you still doing here?" Issei's face looked dejected, remembering why he was still up and about in the first place.

Ann frowned at the look the brunette wore, but didn't say anything. "Futaba-chan wanted to show Gremory-san something. Makoto's with them as well but just listening in. Apparently, this thing Futaba-chan managed to do is supposed to be one of the biggest game changers that she claims will help you guys win. But the catch is that it's all up to you guys." She explained. "You want anything from the fridge since I'm standing right in front of it right now?"

The boy blinked before shaking his head. "Water's fine." He sighed, rubbing the top of his head.

Ann realized that he didn't even notice her frowning. Thinking about what to say, she grabbed him a water bottle and tossed it in his direction. She was surprised when he managed to catch it with any sort of indication of her throwing it in his direction and without looking. Yet still, the gloomy look was on his face.

"…Hey, want to listen in onto the conversation?" Ann asked.

 **TakeABreak**

"Now that we are all accounted for… behold!"

Rias and Makoto stared as Futaba held out a single object in his hands that was presented to them. Both girls stared with a look of surprise. One was excited while the other didn't exactly know what to think. "Is that…" Makoto didn't even know how to complete her sentence.

"A limited-edition Phoenix Ranger Featherman Victory Pink Argus action figure?!" Rias exclaimed, shooting off of her spot and shoving her face close to the object. Marveling at the design, all she could do was breathe in excitement and awe at the sight of the rare object.

"…Whoops, wrong thing." Futaba laughed nervously as she quickly yet gently placed it down onto the table.

"Why… do you even have that on you?" Makoto asked slowly.

The hacker shrugged her shoulders. "Koneko-chan never heard of Phoenix Ranger Featherman Victory so I thought I'd show her some of the stuff. Speaking of phoenix…" She began to dig around in her pocket. "Behold!"

In her hands was a Knight Devil Piece.

"…It…" Rias trailed off. "Doesn't look any more different than how it was when I let you study it." She turned her gaze from the object to Futaba's eyes. "What am I supposed to be looking at?"

"Wait for it…" Futaba said dramatically.

She pulled down her collar to reveal the area around the chest but just beneath the throat. Pressing the Evil Piece against her chest, she absorbed it.

"Ta-da! Now I'm a Devil without having to die!" Futaba announced, earning shocked looks from the two known spectators. "But wait, there's more!" Putting the tips of her fingers back on her body where she inserted the Evil Piece, it began to make their eyes widen even more. A red object as seen trying to climb its way out of her skin and Futaba was more than happy to help it out. "And now, I'm now a human!" She announced when pulling it out of her body. "I'm now a Devil! Not anymore! I am Satan! I am human!" She continued to grin. "Devil. Human. Devil. Human. Devil. Human. Devil. Human." The girl soon began to repeat the process over and over again.

"…What?" Rias asked.

"…How?" Makoto question.

"It's pretty interesting." The Phantom Thief known as Oracle shrugged her shoulders. "Managing to affect those markings back with Asia-san. So then I began to think to myself. What if I could do this to all kind of magical objects? Your Evil Piece was something I wanted to have a go at and so, here it is! I have successfully hacked your Evil Piece so that one of us doesn't actually have to die to become a Devil and can have the piece removed whenever we want."

Makoto blinked, and just like Rias, silent due to trying to comprehend the discovery and display Futaba had just explained. Slowly turning her head over, the brunette of the Phantom Thieves faced the red-haired Devil. "Well… It looks like we are going to be much more of a help than we expected."

 **TakeABreak**

"So that's what Futaba-chan was all excited about." Ann commented, peeking from around the door frame to see what the hacker, the analyst and the Devil were all talking about. Taking in a deep breath, she turned around. "Well, looks like your win is going to come a lot easier than expected."

"Yeah, that's great." Issei nodded his head, but the emotion in his voice was clearly different than the words that were spoken from his mouth.

Ann immediately cuffed him on the head with her hand. Before Issei could even speak out or make a sound, she grabbed him by the collar and began to drag him towards the kitchen. "Okay, what the hell is up?" She asked bluntly, releasing her grip and turning around to look at the boy.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Issei stuttered a bit, still trying to comprehend he had just been dragged along the collar. "I'm completely fine."

"Really?" Ann deadpanned. "I'm not buying it." Folding her arms, she slid out a chair with her foot and sat down on the wooden furniture. "Take a seat and tell me what's the matter with you."

Issei soon realized that it was more of a demand, not a request. Not only that, through his funk he didn't realized that Ann was glaring at him until he sat down. Looking up at Ann, the girl still had his gaze fixed on her. "…" Issei thought about his words, what to say to the blonde who sat across from him. "Ann-senpai… look at me."

"…" Ann knew that she already was, but there was a point Issei was trying to make. Rather than make the comment, she decided to stay quiet.

"I'm... hopeless." Issei sighed, lowering his head to hide his face. "After training with everyone, so far as we can tell I'm only good with guns. That's it. You all say that with a few modifications, the real deal could hurt Devils. Sure… that can be good I guess, but what if it doesn't work? Even if it does, what if I'm picked off immediately due to my lacking experience and skill? Even if I'm the owner that holds a Sacred Gear, there's no meaning to it if I can't even fight properly."

"You may not see it now, but just when the moment is right, you will know that your training will pay off." Ann quickly reassured the Devil, already thinking about what to say as he spoke. "Not only that, we're getting a gun that I'm sure will be able to hurt that Riser Phenex guy and his Peerage."

But Issei shook his head. "I have no talent in fighting other than using guns." He denied. "I don't deserve any of this treatment… All of these people I can call my friends. I'm just a nobody. Would you be able to understand something like that, Ann-senpai?" Issei soon released a bitter breath through his nostrils. "Probably not with how gorgeous you are. You were most likely popu-"

Ann cut off the brunette by slapping his cheek. "…You are wrong." She stated, her hand still in the air and feeling the impact due to the force she used to slap the brunette. "You think you know what it was like for me?"

Rather than waiting for an answer, Ann yanked her phone out of her pocket and pressed a few icons. Handing the phone over to Issei, the electronic presented a picture of her and one of her very few friends before she became a Phantom Thief. "This is my friend, perhaps the only one I had back in Shujin High, Shiho Suzui."

Issei had a confused look. "Why are you showing me this?"

"I am showing you this because you just assumed who I was." Ann took a deep breath after. "Because, you think you know sort of know me."

"Umm-"

"Well, it may not be much about me, but you do. Fantastic!" She said that last part loud and sarcastically. "But let me make one thing perfectly clear. You did not know her!" She pointed right herself in that picture, smiling with the black-haired girl. "You never met her!" Issei jumped at the tone she was using. "But rather than a nobody, she was the rumored whore of the school! Nobody approached her! She never approached anybody! So can you imagine how she felt that it was her fault when her only friend, the only person who first approached her during high-school, attempted to commit suicide?!"

Issei saw Ann stand up so quickly she knocked over the chair she was sitting on. He opened his mouth to say something, but then he decided against it. Now was probably not the best time to talk. It was kind of his fault that she was now remembering her past. A past that was most likely one she preferred not to remember. He mentally apologized with guilt.

"But, do you know what happened after that? She accepted that, and used that to fight back against the person who gave reason for such an attempt. At first, she couldn't. She was weak… useless. But now, she's strong, standing tall to this day. With the issue over, she became a Phantom Thief so that nobody should ever have to go through something like that again." She then began to gesture to herself, placing her hands on her chest. "While you never met her…" Ann nodded down to the image on her phone. "You are meeting a different version of her. One who was once useless, but then eventually got better. Became confident in herself."

Taking a deep breath, she slowly sat back down and continued to breath to calm herself. "That is why, Issei-kun, you shouldn't think of yourself like that? A nobody? Sure, you were that. But now, look at you. You don't deserve this treatment? We still will continue to treat you like so anyways, with or without your consent. You don't see it right now, but the fruits of your labor will show when the time comes, trust me."

Smiling, she noticed that Issei's face was hidden since he kept it lowered. Leaning down, her eyes shot up with surprise when she saw him crying. Now that she noticed it, his body was also trembling. "A-ann-s-s-senpai…" He managed to get out.

But Ann shushed him gently. "It's okay, it's okay." She reassured the Devil. "You like breasts, right?" Caressing his head, she pulled him in close against her chest. "Go ahead, it's not a bad thing if you want to cry." She couldn't help but blush a bit though as Issei continued to weep into her chest while she patted his back.

She didn't know how long it was, but Issei finally managed to let all of it out as he leaned back into his seat with a blush. "Thanks for that…" He mumbled.

"It's fine." Ann nodded her head slowly, giving a weird look to the wet spot on her clothing. Luckily it was laundry day soon. "There are two things I have to add about your issue though. First of all, fighting. You seem to have trouble with swords while fists are fairly average." She watched him nod his head. "So… why not try another weapon?" She then paused. "Like a whip?"

Ann swore Issei's eyebrows shot off his face in reaction to her words. "A whip?" He asked.

"I don't know." Ann shrugged, her tone matching her words. "I mean, most of our teams uses blades and stuff while Makoto used her fists. So that's why a whip came to mind since I'm the only one to use a unique weapon like that." Issei just continued to stare at her with his wide eyes. "Anyways," She coughed. "The second reason is about your troubled learning."

Rummaging through her pocket, she pulled out a skill card. "From what we theorized, you just need to apply a bit of magic to it and then absorb the card into your body. Before I tell you the name, I should let you know that we don't any stronger versions of the stuff so you have to make do with this. Plus, you can only have one applied to you anyways."

"…What is it called?" Issei asked.

The object only had a small figure standing around the center of the card. Its feet were firmly on the ground. But the real point of interest was that there was a single lightbulb shining brightly over its head.

"Growth 1." Ann answered.

 **TakeABreak**

"So this television will be able to show us the Rating Game?"

Sona nodded her head at Akira's question as all of the student council members had set up a small screening presentation for everyone that was going to watch the fighting. All Phantom Thieves except Futaba, with reasons they all knew about, were all helping with the set up.

Ryuji even brought snacks for them. Despite it being a serious thing they were going to witness, the male blonde thought it was a good idea.

"What's up, Ann?" Ryuji asked, noticing the look on the female blonde. "You're looking pretty worried. You should have some more confidence in them."

"Yeah, I know, I know." Ann sighed. "But still, I just can't shake that feeling anyways."

"I can't blame you." Makoto agreed. "But we did our best. Plus, Futaba is with them and can help them out of a tough spot when the time comes."

"Shh," Yusuke sat down. "It's starting.

 **TakeABreak**

"Wow… to think all of this is fake. Everything is exactly the same." Issei commented as he looked around after being transported into the Rating Game field.

All of the Devils were waiting for the Rating Game to start. Really, it was a mix of emotions inside a copy of the Occult Research club room. Issei was seen equipped with a couple of revolvers on his waist and a few ammunition pouches strapped on his person. Asia twiddled her thumsb nervous as she would eye the slingshot on her person every few seconds. Kiba kept his eyes closed, taking deep breaths to calm himself. Koneko adjusted straps on her body that held a shotgun, a grenade launched, and several ammo pouches as well. Akeno was silent, but her features betrayed her supposedly calm attitude. Rias meanwhile paced around the room in anticipation.

Only the final occupant wasn't as nervous as them.

"The sky is completely white as well." Futaba was in her Phantom Thief outfit while peeking out of the window. "Devil power is a lot more amazing than I expected. Then again, I've seen a lot of weird stuff so I shouldn't really be surprised. Such a concept sort of reminds me of the Metaverse…"

Before any of the newcomers to the nature of a Devil, a loud voice on a speaker from who knows where began to speak. [ _Both parties have been transferred to their strongholds. Rias-sama's Peerage is in the Occult Research Club room. Riser-sama's Peerage is in the Student Council room. To promote Pawns, please proceed to the opponent's stronghold perimeter_.]

Being handed out earpieces, all of the Devils fitted them into their ears. "Okay, so the plan in mind still what we're going for?" Futaba asked while sitting down on a couch.

"Yes, very much so." Rias nodded her head, looking out to face the open window Futaba was staring out earlier. "But we cannot afford to waste any time. Remember what to do and I promise you all," She faced her Peerage and the Phantom Thief. "We will win."

[ _The time has come! The battle shall continue from now until daybreak. So without further ado, let the game begin!]_

"Well," Futaba voiced with a grin. "Enough of words. Let's get started, shall we?"

As Necronomicon flashed into existence right above her as a holographic keyboard appeared in front of her with multiple screens, Rias stood right behind her while Issei, Asia, Kiba, Akeno, and Koneko all jumped out of the window.

"By the way, have I ever told you?" The hacker looked up towards Rias while wiggling her fingers. "One-hundred and six words per minute."

 **And like that, cue the Doctor Who – Hanging on the Tablaphone soundtrack!**

 **Well, that part is actually your choice. As for that Ann thing… I am unsure how to actually feel about that. I think it's nice. But at the same time… not really.**

 **So, this is a new chapter. And the next will be the Rating Game. And then after that… well, you just have to wait for that chapter to come out.**

 **No flames please.**


	18. Chapter 18

**I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.**

"Wow, this is amazing, Sakura-san." Issei breathed, definitely impressed with what he couldn't see but knew what was happening.

Running around the school grounds, one of their objectives was to get Issei to the respected enemy territory. The reason was why that if they wanted a larger chance of winning, they would need the brunette to evolve into a Queen piece so his strengths would increase. But with that, it was easily, and one of the bigger probabilities, that Riser's team was going to do the same.

But that was why they had other people at the same time. "You can communicate with us whenever you want. And we can talk with you as well."

[ _Don't forget that I'm here as well, Issei-kun._ ] Rias chuckled as her Pawn noted all of these things. [ _Futaba-san's main purpose is to provide support with me having to give you commands while all of you are out in the field. Futaba-san will get her hands dirty when the time arrives that they would have no chance of winning… Thought that won't stop her from getting involved here and there_.] A mischievous chuckle came from Futaba in the middle of Rias' pause.[ _Update, Riser's pieces have just began to move. Three Pawns and one Rook are moving to the gymnasium. All other pieces are heading towards the sports grounds. Looks like they're afraid we'll split up._ ]

"Then I say we do the same!" Issei exclaimed.

[ _Hold on a second, you can't just make a conclusion like that._ ] Futaba voice began to go through their heads. [ _You're not the commander, Gremory-san is. So if she says something, you follow it unless you have a reason to dislike it. Or if you say an idea, it's up to her to approve it._ ]

Her reminder made Issei sigh as everyone else accompanying him was a mixture of reactions. [ _Issei-kun does have a good point though. Both parties have Pawns that could potentially turn into Queens._ ] Well that was a slightly morbid thought. A total of four or six potential Queens was a force not to be taken lightly. [ _But, I think there is something else we could do. Issei-kun, get to the enemy's perimeters as quickly as possible and survive. Do not hesitate to back out if it gets too hectic. Akeno, Asia-chan, both of you try and hold off the opponents at the sports grounds. Koneko-chan and Kiba-kun, the two of you will take care of the ones going to the gym._ ]

"Got it!" Everyone exclaimed as they went their separate ways.

As Issei took off in the direction with Kiba and Koneko, Akeno stuck with Asia. The Queen and Bishop were decently fast as they made their way to the more open area; a perfect place to be picked off from. But they had a trusty navigator with them.

[ _And like that…_ ] Several keys were typed within seconds before Futaba let out a triumphant hack. [ _Got it. The one's that are going to the sports grounds are the Pawns Ni and Li, Marion, Burent, Shuriya, the Rook Isabela, Knights are Siris and Karlamine, Bishops are Mihae and… Ravel, and finally the Queen Yubelluna._ ]

Rias let out a sigh. [ _It seems they way I sent you two is extremely tough…_ ]

[ _Come on, have a little faith in your Peerage_ ] Futaba's stated. [ _At least they won't go down without a fight. And let me just say, I bet there's going to be a lot of bodies when Himejima-san and Asia-chan are done for._ ]

[ _Futaba-san!_ ]

[ _I'm just stating possibilities!_ ]

"Ara ara, no need to worry, Buchou." Akeno shook her head with a look on her face. "Remember, we just need to hold them back for as long as we can. Just tell us when to retreat." She licked her lips however. "But I cannot wait to try these skill cards against them. I wonder just how much they will hurt when I use them."

Asia let out a small shiver, thankful that Akeno was her friend.

Walking over to the field, no one was around yet. But soon, they could see it. Several Devils were flying all the way over towards them. But the two of them stood in place. The Queen and Bishop both looked at each other before nodding their heads. Each of them pulled out a card with small figures on the front with depressed looks and the symbol of a boot next to the bottom (Masukunda).

As they both poured magic into their cards and swiped their hands. Several dark-green orbs flew straight towards them all. Each sphere was shot forward like a bullet and had homing abilities, pretty much being impossible to dodge or miss with those shots. The two watched as all of the opposing Devil's broke up their formation in favor of trying to avoid the green orbs. But then within a matter of seconds, all of them absorbed the spheres at the same time and their movements became sluggish.

Akeno smiled sadistically while Asia snuck backwards and pulled a couple of cards on her own. "Ufufufu…" The black-haired beauty laughed, one hand generating lighting. But her other hand held eight cards, each with unique designs; several pillars of fire (Maragidyne), several lightning bolts (Maziodyne), several tornados (Magarudyne), several snowflakes (Mabufudyne), several blue domes (Mafreidyne), several pink swirls (Mapsidyne), several black skulls (Maeigaon), and several mushroom clouds (Megidola).

All of the Devils approached them slowly, their eyes glaring. "What did you do to us?!" The twin Pawns, Ni and Li, both exclaimed at the same time. That single voice or demand began to bring out the anger in all of the other pieces, their voices drowning each other out with insults and demands for answers.

"Enough!" Ravel, who was among the ground, raised her voice even louder than everyone else. "We all don't have time for this. Onii-sama is depending on all of us for this, so all Rooks, Knights, and Bishops stall the two of them while the Pawns make their ways over towards the enemy stronghold!"

Before all of them could move though, all of the Pawns felt sudden chills at their feet. Looking down, ice began to grow from the ground. Looking around for the source, all of them saw Asia holding up single card and was aiming the bottom of it to the ground near them all. They tried to move away, but their bodies refused to give the speed they needed "Wha-" Before one of the Pawns in a maid outfit could speak, all of the lowest pieces were frozen solid inside of jagged trees made of ice.

"Ice magic?!" Ravel exclaimed, all of them slowly getting away from the frozen water. "Ugh, good grief, I have to use my own powers already."

Raising her hand to conjure up some flames, she was forced to cover her eyes as several domes of blue energy suddenly erupted from the trunks of the frozen trees and the light partially blinded them all. Every single piece in both Peerages had to cover their eyes after what Akeno had done.

[Riser… Phenex-sama's five Pawns… retired] The announcement was certainly surprised even though their voice was completely monotonous and almost seemed to have their emotions in check.

As their vision came back, all of the Pawns were gone. Just was the voice had stated, their retirement meant their defeat. But soon, all of Riser's Peerage began to regain their speed back. However, they still had to be careful. Who knew what other tricks two pieces of Rias' Peerage had?

As the Queen of Rias' Peerage licked her lips, Asia readied her slingshot once more. "Futaba-chan," The black-haired beauty began while brushing some hair back. "Would you mind lending us a hand in the meantime?"

[ _Ask and ye shall receive. Hold on a moment. Attack, up!_ ]

Oh, Akeno felt like she was going to have a lot of fun as a red light washed over her and Asia.

 **TakeABreak**

"Hmm… Gremory-san's got a pretty good grasp of leadership and already has a plan in mind. Nice." Ryuji nodded his head as he watched Rias' Peerage split up. "Hard to believe they weren't as experienced as they were now ten days ago. You'd think they were used to this kind of stuff already."

"Still, it's up to them to make sure they win." Makoto reminded the male blonde while grabbing a pretzel stick while nibbling on it after. "Every leader can begin to break down when times arrive." Her head soon turned back to the screen. "I just hope that moment won't have to come in this Rating Game."

"…" Hearing their conversation, Sona slowly turned her head around. She was about to speak, but then someone beat her to the punch.

"Seriously?!" Her most recent Pawn, Saji Genshirou, exclaimed loudly while standing up. He even knocked his seat down in the process. "You guys are talking about that despite the fact that Himejima-san and Argento-san just beat five Pawns like it was nothing?!"

"…Yes." Morgana deadpanned. "It's not like, I don't know,' He soon began to go on sarcastically. "We gave them several of our strongest area-of-affect spells. Seriously, that stuff is extremely powerful. I don't think those bombs we gave Sitri-san are as strong as those spells."

"You gave Kaichou explosives?!" Saji shouted with horror, earning several shushes from other members of the student council.

"…Did you fail to tell them?" Akira asked, raising an eyebrow.

"In a sense." Sona admitted shamelessly. "I did say that you gave us means to aid us in Rating Games and exterminating Stray Devils. I should have specified the items." Turning her focus back to the screen, she still felt Akira's gaze. "Stop staring at me like that."

"Hey, look!" Ann pointed at the screen, regaining everyone's attention who was not really focused on it at first. "Issei-kun, Kiba-san, and Koneko-chan are on right now."

 **TakeABreak**

Issei, Kiba, and Koneko were still on their way towards the gym without any sort of hinderances at all. The entire field still amazed Issei since it all looked the same just like the real Kuoh Academy. The entire thing was just… bizarre.

"Right, Buchou, we're almost outside of the gym. Issei-kun, you should be on your way." Kiba looked over to the brunette and the Pawn nodded. But before he could go, Kiba stopped him by raising a fist. "Good luck."

Issei grinned. "You too." His look seemed to be a bit infectious as Kiba smiled as well and bumped the guys fist. "You as well, Koneko-chan!" He began to move his hand over in the white-haired girl's direction.

"I refuse to make any physical contact with you." Koneko answered with her usual, neutral tone. She even heaved up the shotgun in her hands to make a point while shifting around so the grenade launcher strapped onto her shook.

"…" Issei sighed, not really feeling the impact of her words hit him. But that didn't mean that the pain was not there. "Well, I'm off now. Kick their asses!" The brunette began to wave as he ran towards the tools warehouse that was right next to the gym in the first place.

As both Kiba and Koneko ran towards the gym, they both began to slow down when the building came into sight. There was no sound around them though, so it was either they arrived first or… [ _Hold on, Kiba-kun, Koneko-chan. There are readings of three Pawns and a Rook. Definitely the rest of Riser's Peerage._ ] Rias' words confirmed the unsaid latter part of their thoughts.

"What do you suggest we do then? If we just break in, we could easily take them on." Kiba pointed out as the two of them crept closer. Now, they were either unaware of their presences or they were setting up for an ambush.

[ _No need to do that as well as we won't_ ] Rias stated, the two of them imagining the red-haired girl shaking her head. [ _I would rather not risk losing a piece when we can just do something that will have a large chance of us to win.]_

"Do you something in mind, Buchou?" Koneko asked, looking at the building.

[ _Mwehehe…_ ] A creepy laugh was soon heard. It clearly was not Rias'. So that meant it had to be one other person, Futaba. [ _Gremory-san's already ahead of you on that. All you have to do is set charges that you should have on your person to the appropriate parts of the building. After that, ka-boom!_ ] Both Kiba and Koneko jumped with surprise. [ _The building comes falling down and crushes them!_ ]

[ _At least hopefully._ ] Rias calmly added on. [ _The Rook will most likely survive, but will tread carefully knowing that you would be possibly be around still. The Pawns however will certainly be hurt when the entire building comes falling on them. Before detonation, Koneko-chan can fire in some grenades as well._ ]

"That sounds rather violent, Buchou." Kiba stated with a small sigh, but a smile still grew on his face. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a couple of Megido Bombs. But then a thoughtful went over his face as Koneko began to pull out some bombs of her own. "Will be building actually come crashing down though?"

[ _That's where Futaba-san's… skills come into play._ ] Rias found herself slightly trailing off. [ _I think it's better if she explains what she did_ ]

[ _It's simple. I just managed to hack it._ ] Futaba said nonchalantly. [ _Since this is a magic world, and when I compared it to Mementos and Palaces, it got me trying a couple of things out and I can control this world in a way I see fit._ ] She then cut herself off and Kiba as the boy opened his mouth. [ _Before you say anything, I'm not doing anything too cheap. You guys still have to do your own jobs and win. I'm just support who can play a god in this kind of environment._ ]

"…I wasn't going to say anything like that." Kiba denied.

[ _Sure, you weren't._ ] Futaba said dryly. [ _Anyways, demolition awaits! Go on, that building isn't going to blow itself up!_ _Just stick them on the walls and let's get moving!_ ]

Rolling his eyes but still kept a smile up, Kiba and Koneko both began to move quickly around the building. As the both reached their first point, they both looked at the back of the bombs to see if there was anything sticky behind it. There wasn't. With a look of doubt at first, they stuck it on the wall and it stayed in place as if it had been glued.

…Must have been another one of Futaba's tricks.

Setting up at appropriate points Rias commanded them to put them on with Futaba's guidance, Kiba was on one side while Koneko was on the other. [ _Fire!_ ] Rias commanded.

Kiba had a sword spawn from his hands that contained flames. With a wave of the weapon, fire shot out in burst and towards the charges with complete accuracy. Koneko meanwhile aimed the grenade launcher up to the windows near the rooftop. Shooting three grenades through the windows, she then shot the last three in her grenade launcher towards each of the bombs.

Several explosions all blew up after another, forcing both Devils to cover their ears at the sheer volume. Debris went everywhere, bit and pieces flying all over the place. The sound of a building collapsing was soon added to the noises as well. But after all of that… it was quiet.

[…Riser Phenex-sama's three Pawns, retired] The announcer stated, less surprised that before.

[ _Yeah! You did it!_ ] Futaba cheered as both Kuba and Koneko began to walk towards each other with the smoking scene right next to them.

[ _Good job to the both of you._ ] Rias also congratulated them. [ _But that's not the end. We still need to wait for Issei-kun. Until then, come back to the clubroom to take a small break. Remember, we need everyone and great teamwork if we are going to win._ ]

"Yes/Got it, Buchou." Kiba and Koneko said at the same time.

Pulling out a piece of paper, a summoning circle appeared when they tossed it to the ground. With a flash of red, the two of them were in the clubroom with Rias and Futaba.

 **TakeABreak**

Everyone continued to watch, almost everyone surprised at the fact that Rias had Kiba and Koneko blow up the gym to take out three Pawns while severely hurting one Rook.

"Well, that is one way to do the job." Yusuke commented, his eyes not being able to hide the rather shocked feeling he had.

"Honestly, I never thought of doing that before." Haru added. "Although…" She turned her head. "What about you, Akira-chan? Have you ever thought of something like this?"

"Yes, but denied it for various reasons." Akira answered.

The student council members still stared at the screen at the complete mayhem that had been left behind. Once more, Saji didn't keep quiet. "Okay, I am never going to piss you guys off! Ever! Just please don't do something like that to me!"

"…" All of the Phantom Thieves didn't know how to react to the boy. So, all of their heads turned over to Sona.

The student council president continued to look at the screen. But out of the corner of her eye, she saw all of the humans with their cat keeping their gazes on her. "…" The girl wondered if she only recruited the boy due to his Sacred Gear and completely ignored the personality aspect of him. She was going to have a long talk with Saji later after this. A really long talk.

 **TakeABreak**

"Ugghh, running is hard!"

Issei groaned to himself as he ran across the school grounds to make his way towards the enemy stronghold. He already passed the tools warehouse and was inside of the new school building. It was still a bit surreal to him that this entire environment was not actually real, but instead created by magic. It must have taken some impressive amounts of power to create it.

[ _Issei-kun, can you hear me?_ ] Rias' voice began to speak in his head, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Huh? Y-yeah, I can hear you just fine, Buchou." Issei spoke to himself, slowing down his running a bit so he could focus a bit more on talking. "What's wrong? Did something happen to the others?"

[ _No, everyone is doing fine… except Akeno and Asia-chan_.] Rias actually sounded a bit worried. _[Kiba-kun and Koneko-chan are both inside of the clubhouse, just getting ready for the main assault. But the other two are still at the sports grounds, starting to falter. Their numbers and strengths were even more than I had anticipated._ ] But soon Rias' words began to gain their confidence again. [ _But the good news is that you are almost at the stronghold to rank up. Just one more flight of stairs and you should soon be able to enter a hall that will allow you to rank up. As soon as you do, get back to the clubroom. I'll tell the others to retreat right now._ ]

A bit of strength returned to Issei. So, they were all still waiting for him? He felt a bit guilty that he was keeping them waiting and was almost about to ruin their chance at winning. Everyone was needed for an all-out attack, him just being the only one left. Increasing his speed, he found the flight of stairs quickly and ran right up them, three steps at the time. Within seconds, he made it to the top and looked down at himself.

"All right then… Promotion! Queen!" He yelled out, feeling the piece within him transform. He could feel it, every bit of his power begin to strengthen. It spread through his entire body. Like electricity, it continuously flowed within the circuits without fail.

"Did my Pieces actually let that Pawn through their defenses?"

Issei heard a voice. He gritted his teeth at the sound of it, clearly belonging to that bastard he hated since their first and only meeting. From around the corner ahead, Riser walked into view and frowned. "Hmm, it seems Rias had become much more cunning than expected. I've heard all of my Pawns retiring while none of her pieces are gone." His glare became more irritated. "And that just pisses me off."

Issei smirked, just hearing that Riser was angry at them. Just because he thought it would be cool, he immediately began giving the Phenex the middle finger. "Just you wait, you Grilled Chicken, we're going to kick your ass after we beat your Peerage down. With what we had managed to get done in the past ten days, I am sure none of you won't even stand a chance."

"Then I will finish you off here before you get the chance to fight!" Riser roared, raising his hands towards the brunette and a blast of fire careened towards the boy.

But Issei was gone in a flash of red while the fireball continued down the hall and destroyed the wall.

 **TakeABreak**

"Phew, that was a close shave."

Issei wiped some sweat off of his brow as Asia was handing over a bottle filled with some kind of energy drink that. The brunette accepted, chugging the liquid eagerly to quench his thirst. Looking around while sitting on the floor, he saw everyone else and smiled with a bit of a sheepish look. "Sorry for keeping you guys waiting." He apologized.

"It's okay, Issei-kun, as long as you're fine." Asia gently told him while stepping back after she was took the bottle back.

"Futaba-san, how does the school grounds look?" Rias asked from the side, looking over towards the ginger-haired girl who was moving her hands wildly around. Green, holographic screens one would see in futuristic movies flew all over the place.

"Just as you wanted, they are all moving in towards the old school building. But all of them seemed to be pretty pissed off since none of them are going slow." Futaba stated, a small grin growing on her face. "But that just means none of them will be able to keep their cool." She turned her head slightly so that she could eye all of the Devils out of the corner of her eye.

Rias folded her arms with confidence. Akeno had her hands knitted behind her back with a smile. Kiba smirked while spinning a sword in one hand. Koneko looked blankly at Futaba, but there was a glimpse of determination. Issei was widely grinning as his Sacred Gear appeared right on his arm. Asia had a pleasant look.

"Well, then, let's get cracking!" Futaba laughed as she climbed into Necronomicon.

As all of the Devils began to make their way down the stairs, they went out of the front but immediately hid themselves amongst the trees. All of them kept their eyes to the sky, making sure that none of Riser's Peerage were flying about.

But Yubelluna, the Queen, was spotted within seconds. Most likely, everyone else was right below her on the ground and advancing. Issei and Koneko both dug into their bags of ammunition and pulled out a couple more bombs. Issei handed one over to Kiba as the blonde took one. The brunette gestured over towards the flying Devil in the sky and all of them shared a look. Looking over towards Akeno, the Queen of Rias' Peerage easily understood what was about to happen and nodded her head.

Issei, Kiba, and Koneko all took a couple of steps away from the trees. Issei activated his Sacred Gear and his Boosted Gear was holding onto the explosive. Rearing their arms back, each of them threw one bomb while the white-haired girl threw a second one soon after. With their strengths, although Kiba's was not as strong, the explosives flew right towards Yubelluna. All four bombs seemed to be thrown and miss just barely though. But Akeno had her hand cracking with lightning as she threw the bolts and caused each and every bomb to explode while striking the enemy Queen.

[Riser Phenex-sama's one Queen, retired]

"Now! Go!" Rias ordered loudly, just as the announcer revealed the status of the Queen.

"Come on!" Issei roared as all of them burst out of the tree line and ran straight towards their opponents.

Above them, Futaba was inside of Necronomicon, watching the fight their supporter. Rolling her neck, she tapped a few icons before swiping her hands and revealing several profile pictures with health bars. "Right, now let's get this show on the road!" She exclaimed to herself, her UFO constantly zipping about just in case she would be a viable target.

Issei reached down to his legs and fingered the handles of two revolvers that was holstered just below his waist. Quickly drawing them from his waist, he pointed them up and pulled both triggers at the same time. His aim was towards the back of the group they were charging at. He watched as the bullets both supposed Bishios; Mihae on the shoulder while Ravel in the arm.

But he didn't stop there. Issei furiously pulled the hammers back with such speed while firing at the same time and managed to strike each and every one of the pieces on their bodies twice. Pulling the trigger again soon though, he heard the sound of clicking and he swore. Right, reloading was still a factor he completely forgot about.

There was no time in doing so though as they were close enough to fight in melee range anyways. Charging on through, Issei dove forward and rolled at the same time. Isabela and Xuelan (Rooks) were both at the front line and saw this. As the two of them jumped into the air while eyeing the brunette, Kiba sped right past them. Just as the blonde made his way through to be near the promoted Pawn, Koneko had clotheslined both of them at the same time.

As Xuelan and Isabela both hit the ground about being hit, Koneko wrapped her hands around the shotgun and pointed it right towards the former Rook. About to fire, the weapon was knocked right out of her hands as Siris (Knight) had managed to quickly get up to her and prevent the girl from shooting by using her zweihander. Siris soon swung around, about to cut Koneko but then felt a small bearing hit her hand and caused her to hiss in pain while missing her attack.

Angry eyes quickly darted over towards Asia holding a slingshot as the blonde soon squeaked before scampering off to find another place to not be noticed. Koneko seemed to take advantage of this situation by punching Siris right in the stomach and sending her back several feet. Reaching back to grab her grenade launcher, Koneko shot a grenade straight towards the enemy Knight, engulfing the opposing girl right in the stomach.

[Riser Phenex-sama's one Knight, retired.]

Isabela and Xuelan both got back up, groaning at the attack they both had faced. But it was going to take more than that to force them to retire. As soon as they were on their feet, the two of them rolled out of the way of a red and yellow blast of energy. Looking over, they saw both Rias and Akeno had shot those respective shots of magic and seemed like they were just ready for more.

Running right towards the Bishops, Issei and Kiba saw both girls preparing spells. While Ravel looked like she was going to shoot fire, Mihae seemed to be focused on some thing else entirely. Seeing how they weren't going to be close enough, Issei had his hand move over to the side of his stomach as grab what seemed to be a whip off of his body. "Kiba! Move on!" As Kiba sped up to get ahead of Issei, the brunette cracked the whip in Mihae's direction and struck her hands.

Ravel saw this and gritted her teeth. "Take this!" She exclaimed, throwing a ball of fire in their direction. But Kiba simply continued to run without hesitation. Dropping his current sword, a new one formed and he held it up to guard. Running straight through the flames, it still burned Kiba but not as bad as it would have originally if he hadn't made a fire-resisting blade as he made it close to Ravel.

Swinging his blade when his vision was clear of the fire, he missed. Looking around, his gaze soon went up when he felt the temperature rise once more and saw that Ravel was now flying with an even larger flame ball than before. But then she didn't have any time to throw it when Mihae came careening from below right into her and forced the blonde-girl to lose focus.

As the two of them began tumbling down, Issei spun his whip around and latched down onto the foot of Mihae and pulled her down right onto the ground apart from the falling Ravel. Yanking in his direction soon after, Issei quickly transferred the whip from his right to his left hand so his Sacred Gear was free as he punched the girl right in the stomach with his gauntlet.

Watching her roll on the ground, she didn't get up, but her body did not disappear. It was not enough strength to retire, but then her hands began to shine once more, probably another moment to use her magic. "Oh no you don't!" Issei grinned, snapping his fingers.

It was at that moment; all of the clothes suddenly began to tear off of the girl. As if there were explosives inside of her body that destroyed clothing, all of the cloth surrounding her body was ripped to shreds as she was suddenly stark naked in the middle of the battlefield.

Issei grinned and cheered that his technique worked.

 **TakeABreak**

"…" Ann groaned into her hands as many of the other people in the room just stared as reactions were mixed with horror, shame, fear, happiness, and confusion. Akira, Morgana, Ryuji, and Yusuke however all had their head turned over to the side and up towards the ceiling. If they could be honest, it certainly reminded them of that one time during the fireworks festival when it rained and Ann revealed her legs while trying to wring water out of her kimono.

Makoto noticed Ann's groaning and decided to ask the blonde. "Were… you aware of this technique this entire time, Ann?" Makoto made a face that was unsure if she should be confused, horrified, or scared.

"He managed to develop in in the past couple of days." Ann's voice was muffled in her hands. "Right after using Asia-chan as an unwilling example, I made sure to beat him hard in order to make him promise he would only use it in battle against enemies." Her head shook. "I still am unable to even comprehend that he could come up with a technique like that."

"Well, I suppose this is coming from someone who is from the infamous Perverted Trio so I shouldn't be too surprised." Makoto sighed as well, shaking her head. "Still, that is something I do not even know how to describe."

 **TakeABreak**

Kiba made quick word of Mihae as she slashed her back and her body disappeared shortly.

[Riser Phenex-sama's one Bishop, retired]

"That is… a very unique power you have created, Issei-kun." Kiba commented, unsure if he was using the right kind of words to describe what he had just seen.

"Thanks!" Issei exclaimed as the two of them just stood still. "I call it Dress Vreak, and…" He paused for a second before shaking his head. "Sorry, bit my tongue there. What I meant to say was-" He couldn't even complete his sentence due to a fireball being throw in his direction and he had to dodge it. "You know, I'll explain it to you later when this is over."

Kiba held his hands up. "No rush."

Asia meanwhile was in a bit of a bad spot. Karlamine (Knight) was furiously chasing her as her small legs could only make her go so fast. Since she was the healer of the group, it would have made perfect sense for Asia to be a main target. Making her way to the treeline, Asia looked back and jumped with surprise while dodging a knife thrown at her in the process.

Seeing the weapon lodge itself into the tree, Asia skidded to a half when she almost ran into that exact trunk. Ducking down quickly, she dodged the slash that came from Karlamine and the blonde began to flee once again into the forest. As the Knight yanked her weapon free, she let out an angry breath at how she failed to catch the Bishop and began to go into the forest in order to find Asia.

While the Knight went through the greenery to find the blonde, Asia snuck out of the forest way Karlamine had entered and went back into the fight just in case some of them needed to be healed.

Both Issei and Kiba were running, but then Ravel proved to be more of a nuisance than expected as she was flying around and bombarding them with fire. As Issei rolled on the ground, he saw the blade that Kiba had dropped from before. An idea came up in his head soon as he took a couple of hops away from the weapon while keeping Ravel in sight. Flicking the whip and having it wrap around the handle, Issei snapped his wrist over in Ravel's direction and caused the sword to fly and cut the wings of the flying Devil.

Watching Riser's Bishop fall, Issei holstered his whip while running forward towards the blonde female. Reaching to his back, he revealed a third revolver stuffed in his pants as he pulled it out. Pulling the hammer back, he aimed for the girl and pulled the trigger. A small tornado of winds was released as it launched Ravel to the side.

Isabela was struggling against Koneko as the girl was managing to hold her ground while wrestling the Rook. It was not easy taking the white-haired girl down, especially with the Akeno and Rias both providing magical bombardment to destroy her. But her struggling was brought to an end when Ravel came flying in from the side and knocking Isabela down.

Koneko looked over and saw that Issei had a shiny new gun pointed right at their direction as he fanned the hammer immediately and shot five more times. As Konek leapt out of the way, a fireball, large ball of ice, a bolt of lightning, and then a blue beam all flew towards Isabela and Ravel. Each of the attack hit their mark, something being compared to a lightshow being set off whenever each element hit the two targets.

[Riser Phenex-sama's one Rook, one Bishop, retired.]

"…" Koneko turned her head towards the brunette who was grinning at her. "…That could have hit me." She stated dully.

Issei sighed at her words. "Would it kill to be thanked a little?" He asked.

[Riser Phenex-sama's one Rook, retired.]

As everyone looked over, Akeno and Rias had both taken care of that one Rook that had been announced to have been destroyed. As the smoke cleared, both Rias and Akeno began to walk towards them as the rest of the Peerage did the same. "Well, that takes care of that." Rias stated as they all took in as much air as they could. Though the fight may have looked easy to them, it took an incredibly large amount of energy from them almost and their stamina was used in a lot of their hits.

Thankfully, Asia and Futaba were able to restore some of their energy with proper supplies and magic recovery from each respective person. "Phew, I actually never thought we'd manage to do that." Kiba commented, wiping some sweat off of his brow. "Taking out the Pwans and then the Queen before rushing them at least made their ranks lower and easier to fight."

"Riser's advantage was always numbers. Not only did we manage to even that out, but out equipment I think was a bit… overdoing it." Rias said, massaging her head. "I still think that Akira-kun and everyone else forced us to overstock on this stuff."

[ _That's what you say._ ] Futaba commented from above, her help almost not even being needed at all during the fight. She was very happy and proud about that fact. It proved that Rias and the others could do well if they tried. [ _But it's better to do that than understock or else you would run out of the supplies._ ] She sighed soon after. [ _I just remember the times whenever we would run out of Megido Bombs when exploring Palaces. It was so fun just blowing Shadows up… Oh, right, you guys apparently forgot about one Knight. She's still in the forest looking after Asia-chan._ ]

"…Ah… right." Asia said slowly, after a moment of remembrance. She had completely forgotten about that girl. "We should go take care of her."

 **TakeABreak**

[Riser Phenex-sama's one Knight, retired]

"All right!" Morgana exclaimed as there were several cheers from the many Phantom Thieves that were watching the fight that had gone down. "All of that time with them and working on those Megido Bombs really paid off! They've got this in the bag for sure now!"

 **TakeABreak**

Riser stood, staring out among the created land that mimicked reality as Rias and her Peerage all made it to the roof of the new school building where the Phenex stood. "So…" Riser stated neutrally, turning around. "You managed to get very lucky and beat each and every one of my Peerage members."

"Yes, we have." Rias stated, stepping forward with her arms folded. "You should know what is going to happen to you, next. It's over, Riser. Surrender, and you won't have to face the humiliation of being soundly beaten."

But the man didn't even turn around. "Don't ever think that it's over until you have surely obtained victory." Riser stated, his arms moving slowly which made everyone stand on guard while waiting. Koneko and Issei both stood in front of the group. His neck moved side to side, popping those air bubbles in that area. "All of my Peerage had been beaten after all. It hardly seems… possible at all. So, you cannot blame me for being a little… angry at the moment."

Without even looking, he quickly raised his left hand while pointing it right at them. A large blast of flames came their way. Everyone but Issei and Koneko made it out unharmed. The two front-liners just made it out of the flame in time, but their clothing was singed. Patting themselves down, they noticed that their ammunition bags were on fire as well. Quickly ripping them off, they each threw them and all of the packages exploded in more fire.

Well, there went all of their munitions.

While their attention was turned to the explosions, Riser had appeared right next to them. Grabbing Koneko's arm, the blonde twisted it while spinning around and elbowing the boy right in the stomach to knock the brunette down. As Koneko cried out in pain, Riser spun the girl around while kicking her legs up and slammed her onto the ground soon after.

Akeno and Asia raised their hands, more skill cards at the ready. But Riser quickly raised his own hands in return and threw out more fireballs faster than they could shoot any of the spells. The cards that weren't used were burned up as wind and ice were careening his way. The ice melted among the flames while the wind was no strong enough to part the fire.

Kiba came charging soon after, his sword about to skewer the enemy blonde. Riser only managed to get out of the way in time before Kiba's shoulder actually pressed against his center and began to push forward. Riser however managed to put his feet onto the ground, slowly stopping the boy from moving any further. The Phenex smirked a little while tilting his head and kneed the Knight in the stomach before punching his back and throwing him off the edge of the roof.

He then felt something hit the back of his head. It was powerful enough to blow off a quarter of his head. "…" Slowly turning around, he looked towards Rias who had her palm facing towards him. He felt his flesh regenerate until he had his entire face and head back as if it had never been gone in the first place. "Just give up, Rias. There's no way you can beat me with my powers."

"Keep your mouth shut, Riser!" Rias stated, glaring. "It's time to end this Rating Game before you dig yourself into a hole even further." As soon as those words parted from her lips, she looked up which caused Riser to do the same. Hovering right above the roof, somehow unnoticed by the Phenex, was Necronomicon. "Now, Futaba-san!"

[ _You got it! Here come the buffs!_ ]

A triangle formed all around Akeno, Asia, Issei, Koneko, Kiba (who was rushing back through the halls of the school, and Rias. A red, purple, and then green light all showed up before shooting up like a pillar while washing over each of the Devils. Riser gritted his teeth, not knowing what had happened but he felt like he shouldn't have liked it.

Issei watched as Riser just began to raise his hand. So the brunette quickly drew the skill card revolver and spun the weapon around in his grip. With the butt of the gun now up, he thumbed the handle until there was an image of a brain vibrating on it (Brain Shake). Charging up, he managed to catch Riser off-guard and slam the handle right against the blonde's skull.

Riser was certainly shaken by the sudden surprise attack, but then he could still fight back. Backhanding Issei and sending the brunette skidding along the ground, he made a clawing motion towards Koneko was attempted to aim the grenade launcher at him. A wave of flames emerged from each finger as the white-haired girl raised the weapon up to protect herself. The weapon however melted in her hands as she sighed and tossed the molten metal away before it could actually burn her skin.

Hearing footsteps coming up from behind him, he turned around quickly to see Kiba running right towards him. With a horizontal movement of his arms, a wave of fire followed in hopes of burning Kiba. But the Knight ducked right under the flames. As Riser attempted to swipe his hand again, Kiba raised his equipped arm to block the limb before punching Riser's stomach with his left hand. Soon, he grabbed Riser's body with that left hand while stabbing the King right in the stomach before throwing him to the ground.

Yanking the sword out of his body, Riser put his hands on the ground. While getting up, he twisted his body and kicked Kiba's face. But when the man got back on all fours, Koneko had run up and kicked Riser's face in return. With his body twisted around, Riser saw Issei coming straight for him again with his revolver. As the brunette swung his arm, the King grabbed the arm while redirecting it towards Koneko, the girl being blown away after a flash of light and a small explosion.

Twisting Issei's arm, Riser pointed his free hand towards Akeno, Asia, and Rias and shot three balls of fire towards them. As the three retreated while Riser threw Issei to the side, the blonde ran towards them. Punching Akeno as she tried to aim for Riser, the man soon raised his hands to stop Rias pointing an SMG of all things right towards his face and she had already been pulling the trigger to spray bullets.

Rias kept on pushing though, surprising the Phenex with how much strength she actually had. As Riser had his back against the wall next to the doorway that led inside of the school building, he kept Rias' aim down the stairway that went down as she continued to pull the trigger. Ripping the gun out of her hands while kicking her away, Kiba was back in the picture as he ran up to overhead-slash the enemy King.

Riser was faster enough to grab the sword arm though and spin the boy around while keeping his grip. Koneko was already right next to the Knight as she punched Riser right on the face before being punched herself. Kicking Kiba to the ground, Asia had a perfect opportunity to use her slingshot and fired it and hit Riser dead on the forehead.

Irritated by the sudden impact on his head, he glared at Asia a second to long before he was struck by lightning thanks to Akeno. Before he could even make a single breath, Issei was right behind him in the middle of the doorway. Grabbing the Phenex by the waist, the brunette lifted the man up and suplexed him.

As the two of them began to tumble down the stairs after, Riser looked up to see the revolver the brunette used. Grabbing it off of Issei, Riser threw it right up the stairs that the Devils were barreling down. Most of them dodged out of the way, but Asia was too slow and was hit right in the center of her forehead and toppled over.

As Riser looked back, he saw Issei swing his fist towards him. The blonde caught it finely, but then ended up being headbutted when Issei slammed his forehead forward. Trying to twist the blonde's arm, Issei ended up being elbowed in the stomach before punched into a classroom. Looking down the hall he had fallen into, Riser threw a few fireballs down the corridor right towards Rias and her Peerage.

All of them dodged out of the way fortunately. Riser followed the flames however, running past almost everyone so that he was right in front of Akeno. As his hand lashed forward, it was caught by Rias as Akeno also grabbed a hold of it to prevent the male from blasting them with fire. About to use his other hand, he immediately felt something wrap around his throat and he was forced to use the spare fingers to stop himself from being strangled.

Issei had gotten back up and had snapped the whip around Riser's neck. Angrily, Riser tried to furiously rip his arm out of Rias and Akeno's grip while trying to get the whip off of his throat. While doing all of that, the Phenex could only watch as Issei threw the whip across the corridor. Koneko and Kiba however were able to follow the item, the two of them grabbing the handle while crashing out of the window.

Riser immediately began to be dragged towards the side of the hall where broken glass laid as Akeno, Rias, and now Issei as well were pulling on the blonde's arm. Settling for kicking them while being strangled, his attacks were less effective than he expected due to the pulling on his neck keeping him off balance and easier to read. Furiously waving his captivated hand around, he pointed his palm to the ground and released flames which forced the three to back away.

Putting both hands on his neck, he wondered why he just didn't burn the whip this entire time. Generating more power, he scorched the wrappings around his throat. Taking in a deep breath, he was soon tackled out of the window by Issei as the two of them fell while Akeno and Rias flew down after them.

As the blonde and brunette both dragged each other up at the same time, Koneko took up Riser's attention as she grabbed his wrist and broke it by punching with her other hand. Twisting his arm next, she broke it before shoving the man forward straight towards Kiba. Spinning around, the boy slit Riser right along the throat, the man gurgling as he was still healing from his broken wrist and arm. Stepping forward, Koneko punched Riser right in the face, breaking perhaps several features as well as maybe a part of his skull.

As Riser was too dazed, being forced to heal and be unable to do anything at the same time, he couldn't react to what happened next.

Koneko ran forward, ducking her head below between his legs. Moving her body up though when the back of her neck was touching the bottom of Riser's crotch, she Koneko began to lift Riser into the air and threw him up. Kiba and Akeno were already in the air, soaring right towards Riser. As the both of them were on either side of the Phenex, they grabbed his sleeves and began to pull him down back to the ground.

But below them, right where Riser's head was going to land, Issei and Rias were running to that location. Issei had his right hand ready, Boosted Gear out and been powered up since the fighting began. Rias had her left hand ready, an orb of black and dark red destruction gathering around it. Her hand began to shift slowly in front of Issei's, the brunette's hand drawing closer to the back of hers.

As if it happened in slow motion, Issei's hand cupped the back of Rias' and both of them began to swing their hands upwards right towards the back of Riser's head as he was being dragged down.

"Transfer!"

 **Trust me, I am not very happy with how I wrote the Rating Game. Get rid of all the Pawns first and hold out until Issei quickly makes his way to the enemy stronghold to be promoted before teleporting back to the ORC room to heal up before leading a full-on assault. I've seen other ways Rating Games have been written, and they are better. While I could take examples from those, I wanted to try my own thing.**

 **Which was probably a bad idea, but I still thought it was nice.**

 **Also, there may have been a lot of things you all will point out from fights that don't work at all perhaps. But, as I quote from DBZA… Fuck power levels, they're complete bullshit half of the time.**

 **No flames please.**


	19. Chapter 19

**I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.**

"Yeesh, makes me wonder how fancy this party is going to be. I mean, we have to dress up in freaking suits and dresses. Just what kind of people are Gremory-san's family?"

Of course, it was Ryuji being the more vocal one when it came down to the situation at hand. He already had most of said fancy clothing at hand just like everyone else. Despite him saying dresses however, all of them did not fit themselves into the type of apparel to being with. Ann didn't like the idea of being in a dress. Makoto thought it didn't suit her. Futaba flat out refused to wear something like that. Haru thought she should try a suit herself since she wore many dresses at many parties.

The Rating Game was a huge success. Rias had been interviewed by members of what was assumed to be Devil press immediately after the conclusion of the Rating Game. The younger Devil did not reveal their names, fortunately, but then they had been invited to a celebration party in the end. The red-head thought that was the appropriate action to take as thanks for all of their hard work and time taken out of their schedules to do so much for them.

What they expected was just a small, little party. Like how the Phantom Thieves celebrated successful heists or when they had their own party to when celebrating the rescuing of Aisa from the church. But this was more along the line of a formal occasion. Something that came as a surprise to the Phantom Thieves. They didn't even have proper clothing for such a party to begin with.

Fortunately, their clothing was provided. How it came to be however was still a bit of a mystery to them. They just assumed it was a Devil thing.

"Well, if I remember correctly, Sitri-san did say that she and Gremory-san were a part of the 72 Pillars. So I have a feeling that she is pretty important." Makoto pointed out while fitting on her own clothing. "The fact that she was in the middle of an arranged marriage was perhaps another flag we should have spotted since the beginning."

"Most likely." Akira stated with a nod of his head as he looked at himself in a mirror. Turning his body back and forth, he nodded at himself in approval. "Sitri-san told me during one of our games of chess that Gremory-san's brother is Lucifer. Not the Lucifer that we've come to love as one of my Personas but a title like a lord or noble. Remember the Four Great Maou? Lucifer, Leviathan, Asmodeus, and Beelzebub?"

"Fascinating." Yusuke commented from the side while adjusting the sleeves of his suit. Fiddling with the wrist part, he smoothed out any wrinkles he saw on his person. "So we, in a sense, just helped the Devil's little sister out. I wonder if this will affect where we go if we die."

"Not to mention that because of this party we're going to Hell. Literally in this case!" Futaba voiced her own thoughts while already sitting down and ready to go. She changed the fastest, not really caring how she looked. Sure, she still had the suit, dress shirt, and pants on. But Futaba didn't want to constantly comb herself over small details.

Haru, however, grabbed a roller with some take on it and began to run it up and down Futaba. During the process, she got rid of some dust and lint that had began falling onto their clothing. "Now, Futaba-chan, I'm sure that the place isn't as bad as you're making it sound out to be." She lightly chided the ginger but there was not anger and was with good intention. "After all, Devils are much more different than we thought. Perhaps the Hell we are going to is nice. Maybe look normal?" She then began to hum a tune when moving onto Ryuji.

"Maybe." The blonde mumbled, feeling a bit awkward that Haru was cleaning him. He shifted around but still stayed still. "Doesn't it still make anyone a bit, I don't know, nervous? I mean, we're going to stand out because we're not really rich people to begin with?"

"Well, no point in worrying about something like that." Morgana stated, scratching his neck. He didn't exactly like the fact that he had to wear a bowtie. He was a cat and they were not supposed to wear clothing. "Besides, we're all human to begin with. If we don't get looks about out social status, perhaps our racial statuses will help out with that." He then shook his body back and forth. "But as long as you don't screw up, Ryuji, we'll all be fine."

"The hell you say?!" Ryuji leaned forward, glaring at Morgana. "If anyone's going to cause any trouble, it's going to be you! Who knows, maybe you will end up tripping people and get us in trouble."

"I'm not the bumbling idiot!" Morgana countered back.

Akira grabbed Morgana by the scruff of his neck and set him up onto the couch. "Morgana, you're with me so you don't end up making people fall." He then turned over to Ryuji. "Ryuji, just keep your actions in check and everything should be fine." He ignored the fact that the cat and blonde stuck their tongues out at each other.

Makoto turned her head towards the black-haired boy with a curious look. "You seem… eager to attend this party." She stated, earning her a blank look from the boy. "Is there any reason to why that's the case?"

Before Akira could answer, there was the sound of footsteps approaching them in the living room. All of them looked over and saw that Ann was fitted into her own clothing as well. But then she was accompanied by Asia who was in a dress. The smaller blonde had a bit of a shy look since she was the only one in a dress.

"Aww," Haru cooed when she saw the former-nun in her fancy clothing. "You look so adorable."

"Th-thank you." Asia nodded her head frantically with a bit of a blush. "But I wouldn't look like this if it wasn't for Ann-san. She did so much to make me look like this."

"Come on." Ann tapped Asia's shoulder. As the girl looked over, the one known as Panther bent her neck down for a better look. "Don't sell yourself short like that. You already look good enough as it is. I just had to work on a bit here and there, that's all."

Hearing an alarm go off, everyone looked at Akira once more. The leader of the Phantom Thieves blinked at the looks he was receiving. It was at that moment he realized why he was being stared at. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone as an alarm was ringing from the device. "Well, it's time to get going." He pocketed the device. "Don't want to keep everyone waiting."

As everyone began to fit themselves for a final time, each of them took the moment to observe one another. All of them, but Asia and Morgana, wore the same clothing. A nice, classic look of black suits and trousers. Black dress shoes fitted their feet. The only difference between them all was the color of their dress shirts. Akira's was red. Ryuji wore yellow. Ann presented pink. Yusuke dawned dark blue. Makoto went with light blue. Futaba sported green. Haru had purple.

Walking towards the door, Akira opened up and blinked when he saw someone about to ring his doorbell.

"You look nice, Sitri-san."

Said dressed figure blinked as well, her finger hovering right above the button that would set off the bell. Eyeing the device at first, she soon set her finger down. Her eyes soon drifted from Phantom Thief to Phantom Thief before glancing at the former-nun that was turned into a Devil. "I'm surprised that you're not with Rias' Peerage right now to get ready."

When hearing those words, Asia's eyes widened. "I was supposed to get ready with them?"

Sona simply stared. Ann soon spoke up. "I'm sure that when we arrive, you can quickly find them. You don't actually have to be with them until we arrive. So no hurry, right?"

"Correct." Sona nodded her head. "I can see that all of you are wearing suits as well. The males I can understand. But, may I ask why the females are the same?"

"I don't really like being in fancy dresses unless it's for a photo shoot." Ann answered.

"I'm not sure if a dress would suit me so I decided to go the safe route." Makoto stated.

"I refuse." Futaba said bluntly.

"I want to try a suit due to wearing many dresses to many parties before." Haru provided.

"…" Sona just settled for keeping her gaze fixed on them without a change in expression.

Akira looked around behind the female. "You're Peerage is not attending?"

Sona shook her head, adjusting her glasses since they moved. "Due to the status of the party, only those that were invited may attend. Unfortunately, my Peerage was not allowed to come along." She soon stepped backwards. "But enough talk. Shall we get going?"

A blue summoning circle soon presented itself in front of them all. As they looked at each other, they began to step forward.

 **TakeABreak**

Ryuji had to cover his mouth to prevent himself from saying a cuss when all of them were teleported to where the party was taking place.

"Welcome, Phantom Thieves and Argento-san, to Gremory Manor."

Even Akira had his eyebrows shoot off his face as all of them held a surprised look at the sight of the grand building their gazes were set upon. Indeed, it looked like a normal mansion. But the fact that it was so big was a completely different issue. Yes, they had a feeling that it was coming. But actually, facing it was a completely different scenario and situation.

None of them said a word, not wanting to be the first to voice their surprise. But then Akira decided to be the one to let it out anyways. "Reminds me of a Palace from the Metaverse." He stated while looking over to the sides to see that the building just expands around them. Probably because they were in the courtyard.

This place was large enough to have a courtyard. Fancy that.

"Dude, how could you compare this place to such a twisted world?" Ryuji raised an eyebrow at Akira's choice of comparison. "Although… I kind of understand why you got the idea. We only saw places like this when acting as Phantom Thieves."

"Guys, I think we should start following Sitri-san now." Ann poked Akira and Ryuji's shoulders to grab their attention once more. As she pointed, the two guys looked and saw that the black-haried Devil was indeed walking away with Asia beside her.

Hurrying up, all of them eventually were right behind. Still walking, they soon made their way towards the doors of the large house. All of them felt a mixture of emotions. None of them were sure how to feel. It was odd for them to be entering such a grand place and not have to sneak around inside without being found.

Sona extended her arms soon, her hands gripping the handles of the grand doors. A couple of the Phantom Thieves gulped eagerly. Sona soon opened the doors to reveal the beautiful setting they were to take a part of. Apparently, they were not the first to arrive as the party had already started a while ago. They were perhaps around the middle out of the amount of people that arrived.

As Sona began to lead them through, they already heard whispers. Most likely due to their presences. Already, they could tell they were human and decided to wonder why they were attending. Already, the hushed voices spread like a virus as they made their way through the crowds of Devils that surrounded them.

Akira looked over to Futaba who fidgeted a bit under the glances. With his arms still down, he slightly pushed Ryuji to his back-right while pulling Makoto to his back-left. Everyone else seemed to get the idea as they all soon began to form a protective circle around their hacker while looking completely fine.

Futaba looked around at them curiously but then tilted her head down slightly to hide a small smile.

"Now, remember that this is a party." Sona turned her head and showed them a small smile before it quickly disappeared. "You may enjoy yourselves to your leisure, but you must behave. If you may excuse me, I'm going to find Rias so Argento-san may be with her Peerage."

Akira and everyone else nodded their heads. As the two Devils walked off, all of the Phantom Thieves went in their own separate directions. The black-haired male however moved his feet quickly as he kept up with Sona and Asia. Apparently, Sona noticed this as she looked over while both still walking and raising an eyebrow. She probably wanted to know why.

"Parties are enjoyable with the correct company." Akira stated, looking back at Sona. "After you are finishing bringing Asia-san to Gremory-san, you may lack some company so I thought I may fill that gap."

Sona opened her mouth to answer, but then she was cut off when a familiar brunette to the three of them approached them. "Sitri-san? Akira-senpai? Asia-chan?" Issei asked curiously, dressed up like Akira with the only difference being a white dress shirt. "What are you all doing together?

"We're taking Asia-san to Gremory-san so that her Peerage may be together." Akira answered quickly, blinking once. "Question. Why aren't you with you fellow Peerage members? I thought you were supposed to be together for this party."

"Oh, Buchou said that there's no need for that." The brunette answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "She said that this is a party and that we should just enjoy ourselves. Speaking of which, there's an awesome buffet nearby! Want to go grab some food, Asia-chan? That is, if you haven't eaten yet."

Asia only flashed a smile with a bit of a blush to the brunette. "I'd love to!" She exclaimed, only to realize her volume before clearing her voice. "I mean… sure." She corrected herself shyly.

Issei blushed a bit as well before the two of them set off to where the food was. When they left, Sona and Akira were left by themselves. "…So," Akira decided to start off a conversation and leaning against a pillar. "You say that you're a part of the Sitri household? That should make you the next in line to be its head, right?" He scanned the area to see many passing Devils giving him looks and soon whispering.

"…" Sona thought about what to say. Her silence was not unwelcoming. "Yes, you are right." She answered slowly. "I am indeed the next in line to inherit the title when the time comes. Although…"

Akira blinked when he heard Sona slowly trail off. "…Although?" He asked.

The glasses-wearing Devil shook her head soon after. "Never mind. It's a detail for another time. We should be having some fun. That's what parties are for after all."

"Alright." The glasses-wearing human nodded his head in return. Hearing music play, he craned his head over in the direction and saw couples together dancing to the rhythm. Tapping Sona's shoulder, he had a bit of a small smile on his face. "Sona Sitri, may I have this dance?" He asked while bowing lowly and extending his hand.

"…" Sona only stared flatly. But still, she extended her own hand and placed it in his. "There's no need to be so dramatic."

The two of them soon began to walk to the dance floor. Once more eyes followed their every movement. It was perhaps to be expected after all. He was dancing with the heiress of the Sitri clan and he was a human as well. But he ignored it in favor of moving to the tune of the classical piece that played.

Once hand wrapped around her waist and the other to her hand. She held lightly onto his shoulder as she felt him take lead of the first dance. But despite the sound around them, it almost seemed silent between them.

The two enjoyed the relaxed silence as they twirled in between the other couples. Akira's footwork was indeed fast, but then such speed was only required to hide his mistake to avoid stepping on Sona's toes.

The Devil noticed this but decided not to say anything.

But then the dance ended, the music slowly dying down. Slowly taking steps away from each other, Sona bowed courteously and Akira followed in suit. "Well…" Sona started. "I never knew you could dance."

"Neither could I." Akira stated.

…So that explained the times he almost stepped on her feet.

Looking up from their bow, Sona's eyes soon began to widen. Akira slightly narrowed his eyes, just frowning a bit to why. This was hardly an occasion that was filled with surprise after all. Although he couldn't see behind him at the moment. When he felt a hand harshly slam down onto his shoulder though, he immediately understood why Sona had that face and felt an enraged presence behind him.

Also, maybe a dislocated shoulder.

Slowly turning over his head, he saw from the corner of his eye a woman with black hair, tied into twin tails and violet eyes while wearing a dress similar to Sona's. But as if he were in a fantasy, said face was soon shadowed in darkness as those violet eyes glowed. Not only did the grip on his shoulder tighten, threatening to break it, but also an icy feeling washed over him.

Damn, and Arsene was weak to ice as well so he was a bit more sensitive to the cold.

"Oi, bastard, who the hell do you think you are laying your dirty hands on my pure, innocent Sona-chan?"

Sona sighed weakly, wearing an expression Akira would have never expected to see on her face ever. "Akira-san… remember earlier about that detail that was meant for another time?" She watched him nod slowly. "Well, that one detail was that I do have an older sister. But she can't become the next head due to her status as one of the Four Great Maou."

"So…" Akira trailed off, wincing at the amount of force holding his body.

"Akira-san… meet my older sister: Serafall Leviathan…"

 **TakeABreak**

Rias thought that the party was proceeding quite well, and her guests were enjoying themselves.

Word of her friends however reached her ears when rumors about humans joining the party began to spread through the entire building. All of the Devils fortunately didn't act like visitors to a zoo and crowd around such people. That didn't stop the Devils from keeping eyes on her human friends though, most likely thinking about reincarnating them into their Peerages. There was the risk however of the person being strong or having the potential to.

It mentally amused the King to wonder what their reactions would be when they try to recruit her friends – peacefully or by force – and watch the Phantom Thieves deny while proving that they could best such Devils perhaps. She shook her head though, keeping an eye out on every person.

Her Pawn was keeping an eye on his own feet, carefully stepping from side to side when dancing with Asia. It made the red-head pout slightly. She wanted to have a turn with Issei but then the blonde was taking up most of his attention.

Koneko was enjoying the buffet table together with Futaba and Morgana, the hacker sampling the dishes that Koneko was introducing to her while they both fed the cat.

Yusuke was interacting with Kiba, her Knight currently listening to a small ramble from the fellow swordsman. Although the blue-haired male seemed a bit eccentric with his movements, Kiba only continued to seem interested while watching the artist's arms.

Akeno was chatting with Ann and Ryuji. Rias could hear the scandalous shrieks and yells from the humans while Akeno covered her mouth in an attempt to hide and control her laughter.

Makoto and Haru were chatting with each other at the table, several plates of food left untouched as they conversed. Walking over, Rias smiled while nodding her head to two of the female Phantom Thieves. "Are you two enjoying yourselves?" She asked as she reached over to scoop a forkful to food and putting it into her mouth.

"Uh… sort of I guess." Haru answered slowly, looking around the room to see more eyes than before staring at them. "It's really awkward having people stare every couple of moments just because they can sense we're human. It kind of dims our moods."

"Perhaps I should have turned this into a masquerade party." Rias placed a hand to her chin while thinking for a bit. "You know, with masks and costumes? So that you all could arrive in your Phantom Thief clothing and nobody would be a bother."

"The lack of presence I feel like would be a bigger concern." Makoto stated, taking a sip from her glass before looking at it with an inquisitive look. "This isn't alcohol, right?" Her question was clearly directed to the red-head.

Rias shook her head in response to her question. "It shouldn't be." She answered with a slight frown on her face. "You grabbed your drink from the punch bowl and not a servant, right?" Makoto nodded her head as Rias had a confused look. "Then it shouldn't be alcoholic… Unless… Mind if I take a sip?"

Raising an eyebrow while looking at Haru, Makoto looked back at Rias before handing over her cup. Rias tipped the liquid to her mouth and took a small sip herself. Frowning a bit with a sour expression, the red-head put the glass down. "I think someone must have spiked the refreshments judging by your reaction." The female-brunette stated while Rias nodded her head.

"I'm going to let someone know." The Devil let out before coughing and walking away.

 **TakeABreak**

"Onee-sama… please release my friend." Sona took off her glasses as she rubbed her eyes just trying to prepare herself for an incoming headache. "Akira-san, I am so sorry for the situation you are in at the moment."

"Ah, that's okay. I've ended up in situations as bad as this." Akira shrugged, only being able to move one shoulder. "Although this is starting to turn into the… second? No, third worst kind of scenario I've ever been in." Craning his head over to the side, he saw a face that stared back at him with an impassive look. "Hello there, so I hear you're Sitri-san's older sister. My name is Akira Kurusu."

"…I see, Akira Kurusu." Serafall seemed to state, only settling for a stare down with the boy. But a few seconds later, much to the black-haired boy's relief, she released her grip and put her arm down to her side. "And just what is your relationship with my cute, sister? Friends, correct?"

"That as well as associates." Akira nodded his head. "Perhaps the better term is business partners instead of the latter description."

Serafall slightly narrowed her eyes towards Akira. Beginning to pace around the boy, she eyed him as if he were a piece of art and she was just looking for some way to critique and say something bad about him. After a few rounds though, she stopped her movements. Looking over to Sona, she stared at her sister. To both Akira's and Sona's surprise immediately after, Serafall started hugging her sibling tightly. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Wh-what?!" Sona nearly screamed but managed to lower her voice so that it was suitable for indoors, blushing at the physical contact with her sister. "What are you talking about, Onee-sama?!"

That was Akira's reaction as well. The only differences being that he was not as vocal, he didn't say it, and he had to slowly process it through his mind. There was also no stuttering either. But he did share Sona's look of having his eyes widen with a bit of surprise.

"You always hated having to be married to that fiancé and even hated having to be married so early- So I thought that you would hate all men and judging by your letters you would write to me, you did- I was so afraid that you would never get a boyfriend and lead a lovely life- But here you are hanging out with a guy despite them being human and it's an amazing thing- Although it sucks that you two are just friends- But I'm sure with enough time you two will be more than friends even though he's human!" Serfall's speed was incredibly fast while she finally took in air after saying everything in one breath.

Immediately, Akira and Sona's surprise died down and it turned into extreme exasperation for the latter and the former spaced out in confusion.

"…Is she serious?" He asked.

Sona groaned, trying to bury her face into her hands. "Sadly, yes." She said weakly.

Serafall immediately dropped Sona and spun around while grabbing Akira's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Akira-kun!" She enthusiastically shook Akira's hand to hard that he thought she was going to rip it off at any moment. "I'm Serafall Leviathan! Thanks for being good friends with my sister, Sona-chan!" The adult then leaned in close to Akira's ear. "Hurt her in any way and I'll make sure you regret living."

Akira however didn't keep his gaze on Serafall. Instead, he chose to wear a bit of an incredulous look while staring straight at Sona. "I am impressed and admire the amount of patience you must have when dealing with your older sister. No offense, but she's even more eccentric than me when the time arrives."

"Don't take any of it seriously." Sona decided to respond, rubbing her forehead to massage the headache that had come. "Even my own patience is tested when it comes down to her antics."

Akira only blinked before looking back at Serafall. Apparently, she had stepped backwards a couple of times and watched the two of them interact. How cunning. Were these acts simply masks to hide her true intentions and personality? He assumed yes and no. "…You must really love your sister if you're this protective of her." He stated, only seeing the adult light up with another smile.

"Please don't get her started." Sona groaned with a sigh.

Before Serafall could open her mouth and even speak again, there was a flash from the window that was next to them. It was a magical circle from one of the Pillars, but it was odd. Sona knew that it was time that pretty much all of the invited Devil families had arrived. Who else could it possible be?

"W-wait a minute, Onii-sama, y-you can't come here! We're not allowed to!" A small blonde girl with her hair up in twin-tails was crying out as they were fully transported in front of the entrance of the Gremory Grounds.

"I don't care what the stuff old colts are saying! I don't recognize that loss, she must have cheated somehow!" The blonde-haired boy that the girl was trying to pull back was someone neither of the Sitri sisters nor Akira expected to be in the area.

What used to be a party filled with moderate noise became silence as their focuses were taken up by Riser, everyone also watching Ravel Phenex trying her best to stop her older brother from storming through the Gremory mansion without much success. Even Riaser's Peerage was behind him as well, a mixture of expressions among their ranks.

Akira immediately began to maneuver his way through the crowds beginning to form without a word. Sona saw this, and she too started to tail after the boy. Serafall meanwhile took her time, curious to see what was going to happen.

While the older Devil traveled though, she ran into a couple of people and her eyes lit up. "Ah, Sirzechs-chan, Grayfia-chan, on your way to give a scolding to the Phenex boy?" She asked.

A handsome young man looked over to the female and blinked while being accompanied by said maid. The man looked to be in his early 20's with shoulder length crimson red hair and blue-green eyes. "Ah, Serfall, it's good to see that you've arrived to celebrate my sister's victory." He smiled at the sight of his friend but then slowly began to frown. "You are correct. That boy knows he shouldn't be here. Not only that, but I feel like the attitude he will be presenting will be all the more reason he is not welcome to this household for now."

Serafall however only chuckled, making the man and maid give her a curious and odd look. "That is true… but I think we should give Rias-chan a chance to defuse the situation. I have a feeling that if we let things play out for now, we will be shown a very interesting display. After all, why did she invite humans to this occasion?"

 **TakeABreak**

"What are you doing here, Riser? You are no longer welcome in this house. Leave now or face even more consequences for trespassing in our home." Rias was having difficulty reigning in her temper in at seeing how Riser had now was lacking the common sense of wrecking her party by crashing in uninvited. He was the last person she wanted to see, and she had a feeling she knew why he was here in the first place.

Most likely because he was being a sore loser.

"Like I care what you think, Rias." Riser spat angrily. "You cheated at the Rating Game, I know you did." He scanned the room while the rest of the guests gather around Riser and his Peerage, surrounding them. His eyes then spotted Futaba and he pointed at her. "Like that girl! I can sense her right now and she is human! Explain how she was able to participate in the Rating Game while not being reincarnated Devil!"

"I know that Devils are only able to take part in the Rating Games." Rias stated, wondering why her brother and Grayfia had not made their presences known yet. "You already know that there is a system that reads the people about to participate and will reject any Devil not part of the King's Peerage. She was only a Devil temporarily due to… certain circumstances." She had to trail off near the end, not wanting to give away the existence of Personas. If the Phantom Thieves wanted to keep it a secret, then she should keep it.

"Then I'd like for you to explain how you managed to get your hands on explosives then! You are not allowed any outside help when it comes down to Rating Games!"

"Any outside aid from Devils are forbidden." Rias folded her arms, her hands tightly gripping her limbs. "Our resources came from the following humans that have been invited to this party. Including the girl who was once a part of my Peerage." She narrowed her eyes, ignoring more murmurs. Such words were probably about how her friends had taken part in helping her.

All of the Phantom Thieves meanwhile were watching from their spots while Rias' Peerage began to inch closer behind their King. Ryuji looked like he was going to burst out with his loud voice, but then Ann was stopping him from doing so in order to not attract any more attention than they already had before. Yusuke observed from the side, a frown being worn on his face. Futaba was slowly shuffling out of sight with Morgana in her hands. Makoto and Haru however, since they were closest to Rias, stepped forward only once.

"In no way has Gremory-san broken the rules." Makoto stated, keeping her voice stable. But then there was a look of anger at her face. "Don't even think about throwing accusations towards her like that unless you have proof that she did cheat." She didn't care that she gained attention, her focus solely being on Riser.

"Riser Phenex, it would be wise for you to simply leave now." Haru added as well, ignoring the look of recognition that he started giving her. "Save yourself from anymore humiliation and you may be forgiven for your sudden intrusion."

"You! You're that bitch that had those-!"

Before Riser could even continue, Ravel being in tears and hysterics while pleading to her brother to just come home with his Peerage caught their attention. "O-onii-sama, please, please, d-don't say anymore! Please! You're going to get us all in deep trouble! Please, Onii-sama, I'm begging you-!

"Shut up!" Riser interrupted her with a scream of fury and lashing out with his right hand to knock his sister to the floor in such anger. The entire room was plunged into a shocked silence. None of them had ever expected Riser Phenex to calm down, but for him to lash out at his sister, who was now looking at him with shock while sobbing was something none of them could accept. Even his Peerage was unable to hide such surprised.

"You effing son of a bitch!"

Ryuji's voice roared through the building, bringing sound back to the scene. Also a bit of action at the same time. The blonde was seen running through the crowd with a green bottle of wine in his hands. With a mighty swing and fast running speed, he smashed the glass right against the back of Riser's head.

The male Phenex groaned at the impact, his head snapping down due to the force of impact. Ryuji was about to go for a punch soon after, but then Akira swiftly came out of nowhere and began holding Ryuji back while fighting the struggling blonde. "Let me go, Akira! I'm going to beat that asshole!" The blonde exclaimed, almost breaking free from Akira. Makoto had to help out their leader by holding one of Ryuji's arms while Akira had the other.

Riser looked up, his glare attempted to bore a hole right through the blonde. "You…" He growled out. "You dare humiliate me like this?!"

"Yeah! What are you going to do about it?!" Ryuji challenged back, his struggle dying down but then not being released.

"Ryuji, now's not the time and place for this." Makoto said warningly, making sure her tone was clear that he should actually start thinking about where he was.

"That bastard just hit his own sister!" Ryuji replied back, his head snapping over to Makoto before looking back towards Akira. "Come on, man! You've got to be with me on this!"

Akira however looked over to his side and saw someone approaching the scene. With how everyone was parting ways, he had a feeling that he should stop this soon. But then they just stopped and continued to watch. "While I do condone the action, we're making a scene right now that I'd rather not have us be a part of it."

"No, he is not getting away with smashing a bottle against my head like that!" Riser's words were just trying to create even more tension. "A human doing that will pay for what they had done as such a pathetic race is below us Devils."

"Bring it on!" Ryuji exclaimed soon after. "You and me, one on one, right here and now!"

"Ryuji!" Makoto hissed. "Not the smartest move! He's a King piece, remember? You're just human! Not only that, he's both a Devil and Phenex! You can't do much against him with your-"

Riser however immediately released a single bark of laughter. "If that's what you want, then let us begin!"

"That. Is. Enough."

Everyone turned their heads towards the voice and everyone saw Sirzechs with Grayfia next to him. The female was glaring at the people participating in the scene while the male did not looked pleased at all. "O-onii-sama…" Rias trailed off, bowing as did everyone else but the humans. But then they too caught on quickly and did the same.

"Riser Phenex," Sirzechs stated, slowly stepping forward towards the blonde who was still standing. "You come into my home uninvited, crash my sister's celebration, throw accusations against her, strike your own sister, and now try to pick a fight with a human? If your reputation as a Phenex isn't ruined already…" He then turned over to Akira. "You, boy, stand."

Akira peeked up, surprised at the request. "Yes… Lucifer-sama?" He added on the last part quickly as he remembered who he was potentially talking to due to the color of hair. Actually, this person looked like a male Rias.

"What do you think should happen next?" The Devil asked, once again starting a sea of whispers once more after who knows how many times. "You choose what should happen. Do you decide for Riser Phenex to be forced to leave, or do you accept your companion's challenge to fight him? The decision is all yours."

Akira blinked. "Why me?"

Sirzechs peeked over to his side while watching Serafall give him a thumbs up as her sister watched beside her. "An associate told me that you were a very unique character." He had a ghost of a smile. "So what will it be?"

Akira looked over to Riser who was glaring at him. He then looked at Ryuji who was also glaring. Honestly, this question was so sudden that Akria had to take more time to think than usual. He was just immediately put on the spot without any kind of introduction to Rias' older brother judging by the title she gave him. Soon though, he made his decision.

"Let them fight. But…"

 **TakeABreak**

"A stun baton not only inside of the Devil's house, but also strengthened by a Devil. Fascinating."

"I know, it's freaking bizarre. Can I have it back now?"

Yusuke gingerly passed back said item to Ryuji who was sitting and had taken off his suit but leaving his yellow dress-shirt on. The blonde took in a deep breath as he was mentally preparing himself for the fight. He had to be honest, he did not expect Akira to actually say yes for this fight to happen. Feeling pressure on his shoulders, he turned around to see Haru massaging him. "What are you doing?"

"Massaging you, Ryuji-chan." The heiress stated as if it were obvious. "It's been a while since you last fought so I though doing this would be able to loosen those muscles and help get you pumped." She heard Ryuji just sigh and take it as a signal to continue on.

Ann meanwhile was leaning against a nearby wall in the room they were all in as they waited for the fight to begin. "Just what the hell were you thinking, hitting a big shot like that? With a wine bottle no less?" She questioned incredulously.

"That bastard just hit his sister for no good reason." Ryuji grumbled, tapping the baton against his leg while avoiding eye contact with the female. "Was I just supposed to just stand around and do nothing? You would have kicked him in the balls, so I think my method was better." He didn't see Ann roll her eyes but not retort back.

Hearing the door open and then close, everyone looked up to see Akira in that exact spot. "Where were you?" Futaba asked.

"Just checking a couple of things out." Akira stated, before holding his hand out towards Ryuji. "I forgot that I had these on me as a Phantom Thief but apparently there was no need for them when fighting the Fallen Angels." He dropped three tiny bottles into the palm. "A Rasetsu Ofuda, an Idaten Ofuda, and a Kongou Ofuda. Futaba will give you a buff so that you have a better chance against Riser. But if they wear off, drink those when you have the opportunity."

"Got it." Ryuji nodded his head, pocketing the bottles. "I'm kind of starting to wish we had a Khamrai Tao, an Ignis Ring, hell, I'd even settle for a Crimson Ring just to minimize the amount of pain I take from fire. He's a freaking Phenex after all."

"None of us exactly counted on being set on fire today." Yusuke stated in a matter-of-fact tone. He soon looked up at the clock. "Hmm, ten minutes is almost up. We should be leaving now."

All of the Phantom Thieves wished Ryuji luck as they began to exit the room. One by one, they each filed out in an orderly manner. Ryuji rubbed his head, thumping his chest to motivate himself. Hearing knock on the door soon though, he raised an eyebrow. Who could that be? "Who is it?" He asked.

"It's me… Ravel Phenex, Sakamoto-san. Can… may I come in?"

Ryuji blinked. "Yeah, sure." He nodded to himself.

As the door opened, the blonde female peeked in and saw the boy sitting. As she entered, she looked behind her to make sure nobody was watching. Closing the door behind her, she took in a deep breath. "Please… give up now." She pleaded, slightly surprising Ryuji. "You're a good person, Sakamoto-san, but-"

"Sorry, but no way am I just throwing in the towel immediately." Ryuji cut off the girl bluntly, getting a surprised look in response.

"But-!"

"But nothing." He stated. "That asshole needs to be properly put in his place. Seems that Rating Game thing didn't do that. Maybe this way will. Whatever you have to say, don't even think about saying it if you're trying to stop me." He then stayed quiet for a moment. "He hit you for no good reason, and no way am I going to let him get away with that."

"…" Ravel only stared before looking away with a defeated expression. "So, there's no way of stopping you…" She trailed off, unsure of how to react.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Ryuji nodded his head before getting up to his feet. "Now, if you excuse me." He started to walk past Ravel. Before he could reach the knob though, he felt his right hand being grabbed by Ravel.

"I didn't come here to stop you!" She exclaimed, making Ryuji pause and slowly turn his head towards her. "…I had a feeling that you would fight Onii-sama no matter what. It's just because that's who you are, Sakamoto-san. Which is why… this is for you…"

Ryuji soon began to feel something being slipped into his hand and Ravel made sure to curl his hand so he wouldn't drop it. Before he could speak again, she stepped past him, opened the door, and ran away.

He stood alone for a few seconds. Lifting his right hand, he opened it to see a tiny, transparent bottle with a bit of clear liquid inside of it.

"No freaking way…" Ryuji breathed, in disbelief that Ravel had just handed him Phoenix tears.

Pocketing the bottle, he felt a sudden burst of energy go through him as he began walking. He saw red, purple, and green lights dance around him. Only moments later did he find himself walking into some kind of new courtyard or arena type place that was just outside of the building and overlooked by balconies.

He saw Riser pacing impatiently for the duel to start. Ryuji soon looked up to the balcony and saw that everyone he knew had a front row seat while each of them watched with anticipation. Way to keep pressure off of him he mused sarcastically to himself. Stepping across Riser, Ryuji held up the stun baton in his hands.

"Are you two ready?" Both of them looked over to Grayfia who was standing far away yet her voice was loud enough to be heard by them and the spectators. Seeing them nod their heads, she declared the duel to begin.

An opening salvo came from Riser as flames erupted around him in an impressive display of his strength and innate control of fire. The flames coming from his body were orange red and searing hot in temperature, but what was impressive was how it was tempered and controlled around him while radiating heat. The ground around him was scorched from the intensity of the flames and from how he flared that power instantly, he was trying to catch Ryuji off guard with the first attack.

Ryuji was an experienced fighter out of practice though and he had faced tougher opponents, so he was not intimidated but certainly surprised. Still, the human just managed to dive out of the way of a wave of flames. "Holy shit," He muttered to himself while getting back onto his feet. "Screw the Crimson or Ignis Ring. They wouldn't do shit against that heat."

Beginning to break into a run, he ignored the sweat already developing on his body. Looking down at his stun baton, he threw the weapon right towards Riser's face. But just as he did that, he narrowly dodged move fire hurling towards him. Quickly gaining his balance, he watched the baton slam against his opponent's forehead and he rushed forward. Grabbing the weapon, he pressed his thumb against the button that activated the electricity to flow through the weapon.

His grip was released from the button when he was kicked on the side. "Gah!" Ryuji coughed out before being grabbed by the face. But before he could find out what would have happened after, he activated the electric current of the baton and smacked Riser's arm.

"Augh!" Riser growled at the shock he suddenly got as he snapped his arm back. Ryuji was not finished yet though as he used a back-handed swing to hit Riser's face. "Nnn!" The Phenex gritted his teeth, slipping his leg under Ryuji's and tripping the human.

As Ryuji fell to the ground, Riser kicked him right where the sun didn't shine. Ryuji groaned. If it weren't for the Rakukaja that was on him at the moment, such a body part would be gone surely and hurt even more. Jabbing Riser's leg with his baton, he sent another electric shock through the Phenex's body. Quickly getting up after that, he watched Riser raise a hand but then Ryuji smacked that down. Raising his foot, the human slammed the heel right against Riser's stomach and knocked the Phenex down.

But Riser furiously got back up while swiping upwards. Ryuji raised the baton to defend himself while activating the electricity, but then Riser used a lot more force that expected and knocked the weapon out of his hands. The Devil laughed at how he disarmed his opponent, but then ducked down when Ryuji threw a haymaker and took a couple of steps back.

Ryuji immediately moved forward and tried to go for Riser's left side. The Devil blocked way however and struck Ryuji's stomach and chest. The Devil completely disregarded his flame powers, thinking that he could now easily take on the human now that they were disarmed of their weapon. Swinging a fist downwards, he punched the top of Ryuji's head before throwing an uppercut to the chin. Both fists landed painfully on the human blonde.

As Ryuji stumbled back, he stomped on the ground as he tried to punch Riser but the Phenex did the same thing. As tier two fists collided, Ryuji hissed while retracting his limb first. But that gave Riser the perfect opportunity to slam his heel against Ryuji's stomach. Being sent skidding backwards on the ground, the human looked up and rolled out of the way of an axe kick. But as soon as Ryuji got back up, he was punched on the face and sent rolling once more.

Shaking his head, Ryuji saw that he had landed right next to the stun baton. Grabbing the weapon, he just managed to get up while dodging a punch from Riser and struck Riser's face. As the Devil recoiled back from the attack, Ryuji slammed the weapon against the head this time. He was about to succeed hitting Riser three times in a row, but then was punched in the face once again. But Ryuji did not give up. Neither did Riser.

Ryuji swung his weapon while Riser swung his arm. Both methods of attack collided. Riser broke the baton but then recoiled back as the both of them glared at each other once more. As Ryuji threw the baton away, he immediately ran forward and began to wrestle with Riser. Just as he was about the throw the Devil down though, Ryuji suddenly felt his strength dropping and swore.

He had just lost his buff from Futaba.

Riser seemed to noticed the sudden loss in power and took full advantage of the situation and nailed Ryuji's stomach with his foot once more. Ryuji once more began to fell himself rolling on the ground as he groaned at the power of a King piece striking a human. "Shit!" He cussed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the Rasetsu Ofuda, Idaten Ofuda, Kongou Ofuda bottles. Ripping the tops off, he quickly chugged the content of all three containers at the same time.

Letting out a roar after swallowing, he jumped into the air and smashed all three bottle against the top of Riser's head. Stunning the blonde partially, the human immediately began headbutting Riser's face repeatedly. Being shoved back though, Ryuji stepped back a couple of times. Riser rolled his jaw, recovering before throwing a haymaker of his own towards Ryuji. But the human-blonde ducked down in time, slamming the arm that was swinging towards him in the same direction so it would smash right into Riser's face.

Dazed by being hit by his own fist, Riser quickly shook his head to rid himself of the feeling and quickly grabbed an incoming Ryuji by his neck. The human meanwhile suddenly began to feel his air supply being cut off as the Devil choked him. Raising his hands to try and rip Riser's hands off of him, it was not working at all. So Ryuji decided to take a different approach.

Kicking Riser's groin, the Devil roared in pain and he bent forward slightly. Before he could react fast enough, he was kicked in the exact spot again. This time he got ready earlier than expected though, stepping to the side so Ryuji would miss. Grabbing the outstretched leg, Riser spun around and hurled Ryuji through the air and against a tree that was along the side of the courtyard.

As the human fell down into the brush below, Riser came stomping over towards the blonde. Just as he reached the bushes, Ryuji popped up and had the broken top-half of the baton in his hands and he jabbed Riser's eye with it. The Devil clutched his eye as he began to bleed from the sharp, jagged ends of the broken weapon while stumbling back. Growling with anger as Ryuji ran towards him, he stomped on Ryuji's foot and kept it planted on the ground.

Punch after punch, Riser became relentless as he threw his fist so many times towards Ryuji while keeping the blonde in place. Finally lifting his foot, it only so that Ryuji would stumble and trip around as Riser continued his barrage of fists towards the blonde. But in the middle of his onslaught, Riser noticed Ryuji reaching into his pocket and pull out a tiny bottle. Just the mere sight of the object made Riser's anger rise even more.

"Don't even think about drinking those Pheonix tears!" The Devil exclaimed, smacking the bottle out of Ryuji's grasp.

Thankfully for the human the bottle didn't break at all as if began rolling on the ground. Ryuji turned around to see it getting away and he ran full speed towards the object, completely ignoring Riser. "A-da-da-da!" He made a sound while making furious grabbing motions for it before finally getting his hands on the bottle. "Don't leave me now!"

Immediately being kicked on the backside, Ryuji almost slammed head-first against a fountain. Shaking his head, he looked back for a second to see Riser grab his leg and start to pull furiously. Ryuji thought quickly and grabbed the side of the fountain without thinking. Already, the human knew he couldn't hold on enough before Riser finally figured out that actually attack the blonde when he was down.

Looking down to the Pheonix tears in his hand, Ryuji brought the bottle to his mouth. Biting down on the top, he ripped it off and a popping sound was heard only to his ears. Spitting out the inedible part out of his mouth, he placed the bottle to his lips and took a drink from the tears.

The effects immediately reminded him of a Diarahan as his entire body felt healed. All the previous injuries and pain he had felt before, gone like a fart in the wind.

Feeling Riser's strength drop by a bit due to wanting momentum to pull Ryuji, the human took full advantage. Pulling his legs over, Riser stumbled forward and gave Ryuji the time to get back up punch Riser away. Chasing after the Devil, Ryuji grabbed the handle of the baton that had been broken. Running up towards Riser as the King was getting up, Ryuji threw the piece and nailed Riser right on the face.

Riser growled. "Enough. Of. This. Bullshit!"

Screaming in anger, the flames from the very beginning burst to life and Ryuji was knocked down as the flames washed over him. Despite the heat, Ryuji felt like he could go on. But the main problem was that he felt his strength dropping once more, the effects of the drinks failing. Soon enough, he would be burning, suffering in the heat of the flames.

"Pathetic scum," Riser sneered with a smirk, seeming to be satisfied with the look of frustration on Ryuji's face. "Do you finally see where you stand. Even I have to admit, you were impressive to last this long against me. But that was because I went easy on you not using any of my flames." The heat began to increase. "But now that my fire has come into play, there is nothing you can do."

Ryuji glared. "I'm pathetic scum?" He gritted through his teeth, hissing as his body began to lose the power the drinks gave him. "If that's the case, you're a son of a bitch. If you have to go through so much effort to take on one low human, it's no wonder you lost to Gremory-san and her Peerage!"

Running forward, ignoring the scorching head and burns he was about to receive, he kicked Riser's crotch once more before retreating backwards. "You… You!" Riser growled, clutching his groin with one hand. "Shut up! How dare you interrupt me!"

"If anyone's going to shut up, it's you!"

After all of his hard work, no freaking hell was he going to let this asshole win!

" _ **You Made Me Wait Quite a While Again."**_

It soon came. A burning sensation that banged against the inside of Ryui's head. The pain was sudden. "A-aaagu…!" He gasped out, grasping the sides of his skull as he slowly began to sink to his knees.

His cries of pain did not go unnoticed, all eyes watching him when his screams were released. Ryuji coughed out spit, but then it didn't help at all in the slightest. Trying to keep himself up, he stopped the attempt in favor of clutching his head once more in an attempt to dull the pain. Rolling around in agony, he couldn't shake the feeling at all.

" _ **You Have the Power, Right? Then Let's Go over Our Contract."**_

Riser didn't say anything, not wanting to waste his breath on the human any longer. Raising his hands, a torrent of fire roared out and engulfed the blonde. But the feeling that burned inside Ryuji made the flames feel cold and not even harm him at all.

" _ **Just as How You Removed Your Stigma, Fight."**_

To everyone's surprise, someone grabbed Riser's arm, causing the Phenex to stop and look over. "O-onii-sama, that's enough!" Ravel exclaimed, causing Ryuji's screams to be the only sound. "He's on the ground now! That should make you the victor in this duel, right?! Please, Onii-sama, you can-"

" _ **The Other You Who Exists within Desires It."**_

"Don't interrupt me!" Riser once again lashed out at his sister, knocking her down and next to the human that was in complete agony.

" _ **I Am Thou, Thou Art I..."**_

"Don't even try and tell me what to do when you can't even prove that you're a Phenex!" The older male continued screaming at his sister who began sobbing due to the shock of being hit again. "You weren't any use in the Rating Game and you got captured so easily! Not only that, but you gave this human Pheonix tears?! Your tears that hold such immense value and power like a cheap gift?! What kind of a member of the Phenex household are you?! Are you even a member?!"

" _ **Prepare Yourself!"**_

" _ **The Flag That Bears the Skull of Rebellion Will Rise Once Again!"**_

The both of them had completely forgotten about Ryuji, but then were reminded of the human when a blue flash erupted from the corner of their eyes. Slowly turning their heads, Ryuji had gotten up. But then there was a new accessory on the boy that was not there before; a grey skull mask.

"Aah…" Ryuji gasped, grabbing both sides of the mask, struggling to rip it off. But then it was a part of his skin. Like ripping out a bone or a piece of flesh off, it proved to be difficult and painful. "Nnnngh… Hraaaaaaaaagh…!"

With a roar of agony, he ripped off the mask to reveal a face smeared in his own blood while arching his back. Immediately after was a pillar of blue flames erupting below him to cover his entire body.

 **TakeABreak**

All of the Devils watched. At first, they thought that this fight would be boring and one-sided since Riser was a King piece after all fighting against a single human. Their interests were slightly increased by a bit when they saw the human not being the owner of a Sacred Gear but then managed to stand their ground against the Phenex boy for so long. But now there were invested with what had happened to Ryuji, watching the boy be covered by the blue flames as they thought he had just unlocked his Sacred Gear.

Sona and Rias however…

"Did Ryuji-san…" Sona stared with surprise. "Just awaken his Persona?" She asked as the scene grew brighter for a few seconds. "I've never seen one in person before. It's… it's…"

"Painful." Rias was still wincing despite the cries of Ryuji already dying down as she looked over towards Akira and the rest of the Phantom Thieves. "I didn't expect you all to go through such a moment. There was Haru-san's… but then it looked so mild for her."

"Technically, it was a reawakening for all of us when we came here." Makoto pointed out. "Not only that, but then each of us deal with the pain differently. I managed to not scream or cry at all, only hissing while using all of my effort to not make any louder sounds."

"Hey, look!" Issei exclaimed over them. "It's clearing up!"

 **TakeABreak**

Riser and Ravel both had covered their eyes as the pillar of fire was too bright for them while it created strong winds. Peeking upwards, they soon could lower their protective limbs to see the blonde. Riser was furious, beyond anger that he was having this much difficulty with a human. Ravel meanwhile was a bit worried yet curious at the same time what had happened to Ryuji.

Their first sight, which stole their attention for a good few seconds, was a giant figure floating. A boat was beneath two large black and white boots that looked like they belonged to a pirate. The boat was actually ship with both masts snapped off and several cannons pointing towards Riser. The front of the ship however had a face painted on, a mouth that looked like a shark ferally grinning and eyes that promised anything but good against those it stared at.

Standing right on top was the figure that simply stood casually. A ripped and tattered pirate trench coat was used as a cape as the inside was red and the outer part black. It's shoulder wore shoulder pads with curved blades sticking up and were flush with the material with one belt on each side wrapped around. Two more belts were seen as well, making an X across its chest and hade two cutlass' latched on so the back of the blades underlined the head of the being which was nothing more than a skull with an eyepatch that wore a pirate hat. Such accessory even wore the symbol of the Jolly Roger. In a blue outfit that reminded everyone of pirates, it had black cuffs with gold lining. The left hand was gloved yellow with metal nails at the end while the other hand was replaced with a golden cannon. For some reason, it seemed to lack some fat around the stomach, the gut literally shrinking until it looked shriveled before completing the look with black trousers that had the button and zipper undone.

Standing right in front of the odd being was Ryuji hunched over, only breathing in and out heavily. His outfit was completely different from his formal attire. Now he wore a matching black jacket and pants with knee pads, a red ascot, combat boots, and a pair of yellow gloves.

Soon, Ryuji's head snapped up to reveal a rather cocky smirk on his face.

Riser gritted his teeth. "This bastard has a summon just like that woman?" He narrowed his eyes.

But the human didn't listen. Instead he chose to look at his hands to see that there was a single weapon in each one. His right hand contained some kind of staff… if he could describe it in one word. Both ends were decorated with golden ornaments of sorts. At the bottom the two ends were red handles that spread down towards objects that looked the same as its golden relative but then were metal grey. Both sides would then soon come to meet with a single black handle in the middle.

The elongate weapon, Ruyi Jingu Bang from Hanuman was a very powerful tool.

In his left hand though was a sawn-off shotgun. But it was very odd in color as it held a shade similar to Haru's grenade launcher. Not only that, but there was one extremely odd detail about the weapon. There was no typical area to load all of the shells in. Instead, there was a magazine one would see on a tommy-gun installed onto the weapon.

But the weapon was meant to pack a lot of firepower. Shiva, the one who earned the title Destroyer, contributed more than enough to the Megido Fire.

That was not the main focus of Ryuji's though. "Right on…" He breathed, looking all over himself in an impressed voice. "Welcome back Persona…" Hopping up while spinning around onto the ship, suddenly the items in his hands had disappeared as he snapped two fists up in anticipation. "Oh this effing rocks! With it back, I'm definitely in the game now." He then looked over to Riser while cracking his knuckles. "I'm going to take you on your own level." Thumping his chest, his grin grew even larger. "Bring it on!"

Riser growled while taking a step back. "The rules state in this duel that we can use whatever we have at our disposal, correct?" He asked but didn't bother waiting for an answer. Raising his hand, he snapped his fingers and a summoning circle appeared right behind him. "To me, my Peerage!"

One by one, Piece by Piece, the Phenex's Peerage began to show themselves travelling through the circle to appear in the arena that was set for them to fight.

 **TakeABreak**

"Oh, that is just not fair." Ann stated with distaste as they saw the scene from afar. She wore a frown and it only deepened when more members of Riser's Peerage showed themselves with every passing second.

"if that's what you think," Akira hopping up on the railing of the balcony, suddenly being seen in his Phantom Thief costume. "Then how about we help Ryuji even the playing field? We technically are at his disposal after all, being the group that we are."

"Oh, hell yeah!" Morgana exclaimed, hopping up onto Akira's shoulder. "We can't let Ryuji have the fun either, can we?!"

Sona, Rias, and several other Devils were too surprised at this sudden conversation between the humans to even stop them from leaping from their position down towards the fight. All of them not only leapt an impressive distance, but then none of them seemed to be hurt by their fall. The main reason was because several more constructs had come into existence to break their falls. Now voices began to stir among the crowd, just anticipating what the humans could do.

As Ryuji stood in place, he heard noise behind and looked over. "Looks like you guys couldn't help yourselves, huh? Couldn't let me take all of the glory?" He grinned over.

"Your fight is against Riser. Can't let you waste all of your time against his Pieces." Akira stated while rolling his shoulders. "Alright, guys, game plan! It's been a while since we've fought together so don't just go in for the kill! This time, have fun but don't get too happy!"

Ravel meanwhile stared at the groups she was in between, her gaze going left and right. "Ravel," She flinched when she heard the voice. Looking over, she saw Riser staring at her expectedly. "Get over here. Now."

"Yo, Ravel…"

Hearing another voice, she looked over to see Ryuji. The boy was bending his knees due to the height of the floating ship while extending his arm. "Need a hand?" He offered with a smile.

Looking down at Ryuji's hand before he rown, she was slow. But soon enough, Ravel gripped the fellow-blonde's hand. With a squeak of surprise, Ryuji lifted her up right next to him and the both of them were standing right on top of the pirate ship that carried his Persona. But then the male blonde hopped down before pointing a finger towards Riser and his Peerage.

"Blast them away, Captain Kidd!"

 **HOLY FRIGGING SHIT, 11,000 WORDS AND IT WAS A REALLY BAD CHAPTER!**

 **Pessimistic thoughts aside, apologies for the wait. I'm going back to school in December and I'm trying to not only study, but then also pump as much content I can out before I go into academics. I'm splitting my attention between three stories (possibly four) while fighting against the idea to post more stories that have been inside of my mind that want me to write out. Not only that, but also my part-time job is always making me rest and unable to type.**

 **So, yeah, excuses are excuses to why this took so long and is kind of bad.**

 **In other news, finally going to complete Season 1 of the DxD franchise within 20 chapters. Not only that, full out Phantom Thieves vs Riser's Peerage (minus Ravel). Hopefully that will be better than a Phantom Thieves vs Riser's Peerage fight that has already been written.**

 **No flames please.**


	20. Chapter 20

**I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.**

"Oh, hell yeah!" Issei exclaimed as he saw Akira and everyone else gather right behind Ryuji as they each stood in front of Riser and his Peerage. "This is going to be awesome!" His cheer was met with several looks from many Devils as well as friends.

Rias raised an eyebrow, slightly taken aback at her Pawn's sudden enthusiasm. "Yes, it will be an amazing moment. But what makes you this excited, Issei-kun?" She asked her question curiously. "I do understand that Riser is going to be easily beaten. But what makes this much more special?"

"I'm sure everyone is curious about your Pawn's reaction." Sona commented, looking around to see all of the eyes on them. The most notable ones were Sirzechs and Serafall. Especially since she and Rias were not only their siblings, but also the two younger sisters had a smaller reaction to the situation at hand.

The conversation between them all was completely privy to all of them. Yet gazes from many Devils stared. "Because," Issei whispered as he didn't want the grand secret to be revealed because of him. "Remember that they're the Phantom Thieves. All of them together, fighting at the same time! Come on, Buchou, you have to be excited as well! These are the Phantom Thieves at work! We get to actually see them in action!"

"… I am curious to see how they coordinate with one another." Sona admitted, turning her head towards the fight. Apparently, despite the time it took for them to talk, the fight had not really begun yet.

 **TakeABreak**

"Do we all love what we do?!" Akira exclaimed. Stepping past Ryuji, he turned around to address each of every one of his fellow Phantom Thieves. Putting one hand on his hip, the other one was cupped around his ear. It was as if he wanted to hear each all of them better.

"Yeah!" Morgana, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, and Haru all replied back loudly.

"Riser's Peerage is big!" Akira continued on, seeming to ignore the looks of anger and disbelief they were being given just due to ignoring all of them. "We're at a disadvantage number-wise! Isn't that exciting?!"

"Yeah!"

"Then let's! Have! Some! Fun!"

Everyone began to run forward immediately. They were the first to take initiative as their sudden movement caught Riser and the others by surprise. Even Ravel, who had been on the side of the Phantom Thieves, was taken aback from their sudden charge.

Futaba leapt up into the air towards the right. As soon as she did, she was inside of Necronomicon and flew off into the air and circled around the area. But before she could get far, Haru leapt up into the air as well. As the heiress performed a backflip, a metal tentacle wrapped around Haru's leg. Meanwhile, Noir summoned Milady and the Persona also appeared upside down while being held by more Necronomicon tentacles.

Yusuke and Makoto meanwhile went left. Makoto swiftly hopped into the air and Johanna roared into existence. Gunning the motorbike, she almost sped past Yusuke. But then Fox was more than ready as he managed to jump up and stood right on the space that was free behind Makoto. Goemon immediately came into play as Yusuke's Persona immediately began to form a pathway made of up of ice up towards the air which they followed.

Akira, Morgana, Ryuji, and Ann meanwhile all took the ground while still running forward. Ryuji's Persona soon looked like it was positioning itself in the air. Just as Riser's Peerage were too busy watching them all go their separate ways, Captain Kidd released an onslaught of cannonballs right towards the Devil group. Each projectile missed, but the forces of impact were strong enough to blow each one of Riser's Peerage members their separate ways.

"Skull. Mona." Akira said loudly, turning around and hopping backwards in a pattern to match their speed. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out two smoke bombs. One for each hand. "Playball!" Setting both of them off, he quickly tossed them just as the clouds began to pour out towards the pair.

Morgana pulled out his blade while Ryuji had his staff ready. As the two of them reeled their weapons back, the two bat the smoke bombs over and nailed two of Riser's Pawns on their heads. But that was not the main goal of such as the clouds began to cover the vision of their opponents. It would be the same for the Phantom Thieves. However, they had their ways to see through it all.

[ _Visual update coming online!_ ] Futaba notified them all just as soon as the smoke had risen. Inside the clouds, outlines of many Devils were seen coughing or looking around with a bit of panic. Their voices were heard calling out to one another, unknown they were sitting ducks inside of the smoke.

"All but Fox and Queen take aim and fire!" Akira commanded while pulling out his pistol. He preferred for Yusuke and Makoto's guns not to be used. After all, they were made by holy Personas therefore a risk of them being considered holy weapons.

A hail of gunfire began to come from those that were grounded. Calmly walking forward, Akira, Ryuji, and Ann all kept their rate of fire up while Morgana worked his paws as fast as he could. Haru however was still suspended upside down just like Milady. She was lobbing grenades down while the Persona continued to release bullets from its gatling gun.

The Devils scattered at the sound of gunfire coming towards them. Many of them were hit. However, Futaba noticed something and was prepared to notify everyone to get ready. [ _A few are coming up into the air right now!_ ]

"Fox, Queen, Noir, that's for you all!" Akira stopped his shooting in favor of looking into the air to see those that went in separate directions. "Make sure to keep Oracle safe at the same time! We're not sure if they know about her abilities, but I'm sure they have a strong suspicion about what she could do! Everyone on the ground, all-out attack!"

Just like the Rating game, all of the Pawns were taken out easily. Just as Akira and the others ran into the smoke, The King, Queen, Bishop, two Knights, and two Rooks both took to the skies. But then the Bishop Mihae looked over to see Makoto speeding up from behind and saw a special baton being smashed onto her face began her body being cut by Yusuke. For good measure, her stomach was struck by Goemon's pipe. The Bishop felt a bit dazed, as if everything was blurry, before falling back down into the smoke cloud where the all-out attack was still occurring.

"Damn it!" Riser growled, looking around him. Already he had lost half of his Peerage to the humans. He absolutely did not want to be humiliated any further. "I'll take care of that damn UFO and that woman. Yubelluna, deal with the pair on that weird vehicle. The rest of you, to the ones on the ground!" Without any objection, all of them went towards their appropriate targets.

Yubelluna pointed her fingers towards the Makoto and Yusuke as the two of them just managed to avoid a ball of fire that was meant for them. "Whoa!" Yusuke breathed with surprise as he continued for dear life yet still stayed standing. "That was rather close. She has rather precise aim."

"And we're not allowed to use gunfire against her or anyone else for the moment as well." Makoto swerved to avoid another blast of fire. While still riding around, ignoring the flames as well as the laugh from the Queen piece, something came to the Phantom Thief's mind. "Fox, I have an idea in mind. It requires your cooperation"

"Well, no harm in trying it out nor will I say no." Yusuke commented while ducking under another blast of fire. "So, what exactly did you have in mind?"

As the duo rode past Haru and Futaba, Riser continued to fly after the two of them with an angry look. Raising his palm, just like his Queen, fireballs were being shot towards the flying people. Not only that, but Riser was also releasing a powerful heat just by his emotions alone it seemed. The temperature was certainly not doing them any favors and Haru found herself wiping sweat off her brow often.

"Oracle, things are getting a little hot out here." Haru commented, panting slightly due to the heat.

[ _Yeah, yeah, I can see that._ ] Futaba commented while seeming to keep her eyes on several tabs at the same time. As she steered Necronomicon, she performed all sorts of maneuvers in order to prevent Riser's attack from hitting Haru while avoid damage to their Personas. She then noticed something. [ _Hold on tight! I'm going to do something incredible stupid! Fox, Queen, just don't stop!_ ]

"I doubt we would be planning to do that in the first place." Makoto said to herself but then continued to drive. Accelerating upwards, apparently Necronomicon passed by right over them.

Haru continued to fire towards Riser, but the Devil seemed to avoid every since bullet as well as the recoil being a bit annoying. As the King aimed once again, he released a torrent of fire this time.

But just as he fired, Futaba withdrew her Persona. The hacker and heiress soon began to free-fall towards the ground. Meanwhile, the torrent of fire that Riser shot missed their smaller bodies and instead engulfed his Queen in such flames. After that happened, Futaba summoned Necronomicon again while having the metal tentacles grabbing Haru and Milady at the same time.

 **TakeABreak**

"I knew they were cool, but this is even more awesome than I thought! Woo! They're beating around that Fried Chicken's Peerage like it's nothing!" Issei continuously punched the air in celebration at how amazing the group that was once in Tokyo were.

"…" Rias sighed as she only place a few fingers against her forehead. But a smile graced her face rather than a negative feeling. It was indeed a marvelous sight. Not only by the amount of teamwork, but almost a bit of amusement. Amusement because she remembered she had stood up to them when it came down to the issue at the church and thought she could stop them. How wrong she could be.

"Rias-chan, it's good to see you looking happy."

Blinking, Rias turned around to see her brother approaching them. "Onii-sama, Grayfia, Leviathan-sama." She greeted, slightly bowing as did all of the other Devils that were her Peerage and friends. "Yes, such a display of action does amuse me. Especially after what Riser had done."

Sirzech was accompanied by Grayfia and Serfall as the leading one smiled as well. "Come now, Rias-chan, no need to be so formal with me." The red-headed male chuckled at her sister. "You all are surprisingly keeping calm despite the display of these… Personas. Not only that, but their weapons are a bit of a surprise to everyone except yourselves."

Everyone began to look around, now actually taking in the looks that the other Devils gave during the fight. They all looked so… eager. There was going to be no doubt each of the Devils were going to try and recruit the Phantom Thieves into their Peerages or their children's with or without force.

Sona was the first to look back. "And you suspect something because your younger sister invited them all." She stated, getting a sheepish look from the one titled Lucifer. "They do not mean us any harm. In fact, they have aided your sister on more than one occasion. Allow me to elaborate."

 **TakeABreak**

Ryuji slid across the ground on his knees. Rearing his arm back, he slammed the back of Isabela's leg which brought her down to her knees as well. "Sorry!" Ryuji shouted as the Rook turned to face him. But as she did, Captain Kidd came flying in and rammed the nose of the ship right against her face. Watching Isabela get knocked down, Ryuji immediately ducked as his Persona spun around and backhanded Siris. The Knight blocked the attack but then skidded back due to the force. "You hanging on okay, Ravel-san?" Ryuji turned to Captain Kidd's passenger.

Ravel jolted in surprise at Ryuji addressing her, but then she managed to nod her head. "Y-yes, I'm fine!" She claimed, still looking around at how her brother's Peerage was being fought against. It… surprised her that this group of humans were able to hold their own rather easily in this battle. She was snapped out of her thoughts as Ryuji jumped up onto Captain Kidd's ship and began flying around once more.

As Xulean raised her fists and tried to rush Ryuji, Akira and Arsene tackled her to the ground. Looking over to their side, Akira just managed to raise his arms and knife up in time to block Siris' zweihandler as he was back and onto the ground. Looking up, he saw a pair of feet running his way but knew that it was not one of his allies. Arsene was immediately by his side and block Karlamine's arm which tried to stab Akira.

A whip suddenly wrapped itself around Karlamine's weapon and it was ripped out of the Knight's hands while dragging her down in the process. Ann's aid was perfectly timed as Akira got back up to his feet and ducked under Xulean's punch. Standing back up while swinging his arm, his trusty knife was in his hand as the area between the breast and shoulder was cut on the Rook's body.

"Joker, catch!"

Hearing metal collide, Akira looked to his side and then up to see the knife Karlamine had used before but was stolen by Ann had bounced off his own weapon as ricocheted into the air. Grabbing the weapon, he threw it right towards Siris and forced her to blocked the projectile.

Morgana meanwhile had climbed his way up on Karlamine. Locking himself in place, he furiously started scratching the Knight's face. But his assault was short lived as Ann's whip wrapped around his body and yanked him back as the knife that bounced off Siris' weapon almost hit the cat. "Ahhhh!" Being swung around in the air, Morgana was finally flung right towards Captain Kidd's ship. Grabbing a hold of the mast, the cat swung around the post before releasing his grip. Soaring through the air once more, he summoned Zorro and the two knocked Karlamine down.

Ann pointed her gun towards Isabela, but the Rook knocked the gun right out of her hands before trying to hit the blonde. Weaving side to side, Ann flipped backwards before summoning Carmen. The Persona blew a giant cloud of smoke into the fray and Isabela suddenly began snapping her head around back and forth in a disoriented fashion. Lashing her whip out at the Rook, Ann then snapped her weapon towards her gun and brought the firearm back to her hands.

Morgana and Zorro soon began double teaming Karlamine, his attacks jumping all over the place while Zorro maintained the assault. With every precise strike the Persona made, Morgana would make a sneaky move and slash an unguarded spot. "How dare you!" Karlamine exclaimed, almost losing her footing. "Do you have no honor at all?!"

"Kind of the point when it comes down to fighting!" Morgana exclaimed as he hopped up onto Zorro's body. A tornado began to spin around the Knight. The winds were razor sharp, cutting the Knight piece some more.

"Look out, Mona! Fire in the hole!" Ann exclaimed as she pointed towards the winds with Carmen. A pillar of flames shot out from underneath Karlamine. With a combination of the winds and fire, the combination became a flaming nightmare that roared loudly as the Knight was thrown out with cut and severe burns. But then the tornado continued to stay in place.

Akira continued to do what he did best. As his slash was blocked by Siris, Arsene easily followed up with a punch to her stomach. Flipping the grip of the knife in his hand, he slammed the butt of the weapon against her face. As the Knight piece was about to recoil back, the Persona grabbed her by the face. Throwing the Knight over its shoulders like a judo throw, it slammed Siris' body right against Xulean who was trying to still fight despite being injured.

"Incoming!" Ryuji shouted as Akira looked over. Diving out of the way just in time, Akira watched as Ryuji and Captain Kidd rain down bolts of lightning towards the fallen duo.

Still going by on Captain Kidd's ship, Ryuji rolled his arm back as if he were a batter at a ball game. "Sorry again!" He exclaimed towards Isabela. The Rook was still rather disoriented but then met darkness as a powerful force smashed against her face.

Seeing how their opponents were taken care of, Akira looked up. "How are you guys doing?" He asked, eyeing the events above.

[ _Dandy, thanks for asking_ ] Futaba answered in a bit of a cheeky tone. Necronomicon continued to fly around while avoiding Riser. The only difference now being that Haru was the only one see that the metal tentacles were holding onto. [ _We're just waiting for Ryuji to finish up so he can have a go at Riser. It seems appropriate for him to finish it._ ]

"What about you two, Fox and Queen?" Akira asked, the situation on the bottom still calm thanks to everyone's efforts.

"Well, we've picked up maximum speed at the moment." Yusuke commented as he was still making an ice-road for Johanna. "Now we're going to go faster now."

"…How the hell does that work?" Ryuji asked, riding around in the air on Captain Kidd while keeping an eye on Riser. "There's a reason why there is a pair of words called maximum speed. You can't go any higher than that." He continued before going after Riser.

"Watch us." Makoto commented before tilting her head to she eyed Yusuke. "Now, Fox!" Goemon spun around while still skating along with Johanna as a green light rose up from all of the Phantom Thieves' feet. "Skull, I'm also going to need a power up as well! Mona, lower their Queen's speed!"

Feeling the effects of their buffs and see Yubelluna slow down, Makoto began to floor it. As the way dipped down, Makoto continued to follow it. Going on an around while circling the Devil, the motorbike failed to slow down. But while it continued to move, the blue energy from the exhaust pipes was being spit out in large quantities non-stop. Slowly, the pathway angled upwards as well. That's the way Makoto and Yusuke rode while circling around the Queen piece continuously.

Soon enough, the two of them were well above the Devil. Riding an arc that had been made, the two of them began to go upside-down for a couple of seconds before plunging down at full speed. Zooming right past the Devil, they went so fast they created a small vacuum to follow them. All of the blue energy that had been left behind Johanna was sucked downwards into the space Makoto and Yusuke had gone down.

But the Yubelluna was at the center of it all. With nowhere to escape due to being slowed down by Morgana, she faced a complete ocean of deadly energy being washed all over her.

 **TakeABreak**

Sona couldn't hide her surprise when she saw a giant explosion be set off after what Yusuke and Makoto had done.

"…Amazing…" She breathed. Yes, it was amazing. But to her, there were reasons. The ability to be able to come up with so many strategies. The coordination between all of them was near perfect. Just how did they manage to achieve such skills? Only in the span of a single year as well. All of the Phantom Thieves worked off one another perfectly.

She underestimated them. Sona had underestimated each and every single one of them.

"Yes, it really is a sight to behold." Serafall commented, grabbing her sister's attention. The older sister was not as childish as before, knowing how partially heavy the situation was for her sibling. "Akira-chan is a business partner of yours, correct? That you two trade information and tips with one another?"

Sona blinked. "Yes." She nodded her head.

"Have you been learning a lot from him?" Serfall asked as well.

"…Yes…"

The female with the title Leviathan only smiled while patting her sister gently on the head. "That's good. Very good." She also placed a kind hand against Sona's shoulder. "It must be incredible stuff."

 **TakeABreak**

"Riser belongs to Skull!" Akira called out to everyone. "Circle the area so Riser doesn't escape!"

Akira, Ann, and Morgana were all stationed around the ground far from one another. Yusuke and Mokoto took their spot in the air and on a platform made up of a familiar frozen element. Haru and Milady were once again being held up by Necronomicon.

Ryuji however sailed around Riser slowly. "So, Riser, you ready to give up yet?" The blonde asked, eyes narrowed as he kept on riding on Captain Kidd's ship with Ravel.

Gritting his teeth, the Devil glared at Ryuji. His glare then turned over towards his sister. "Ravel!" The blonde girl flinched at how her brother addressed her. "You're right next to him! Burn him, and I will both forgive and apologize to you!"

A hand attached to his leg a second later, a once gentle limb gripped harshly against his body. Those up in the air to witness the action reacted by bringing up their guns. Ryuji was surprised. Not only by the sudden grab, but because of the trembling hand. A vice grip shook as their owner fought with her will, fought with herself.

"Why are you hesitating?" Riser asked angrily. "Do it already, Ravel!"

"Shut up!" Ryuji roared back, pumping his shotgun and pointing it towards Riser with one hand. "So many things at once. First you hit her! Then you yell at her! Now you're just ordering her around?! The hell is wrong with you?!"

"She is my Bishop!" Riser threw a blast of fire towards Ryuji. "She will listen to me!"

"She's your sister, god damn it!" The human blonde shot the fireball and the flames dissipated. "You can't even fight me properly without having people do it for you! Come on, one on one, where's that bravery now?! Maybe you're just not so special after all!"

With a yell of anger, Riser charged right towards Ryuji. Pumping his shotgun once more, Ryuji fire once more and this time struck Riser's wings. Grinning as the Devil dropped down slightly, Ryuji held onto the ship as Captain Kidd began to turn and rammed into the King piece down towards the ground. Quickly swerving, Ryuji flew off to the side while Riser was left on the dirt.

As the Devil got back up, the Phantom Thief had been turned back around and hopped off the ship. Riser made a swiping motion and a wave of fire followed, but the Ryuji slid under it. Getting back on his feet, Ryuji spun around and nailed the back of Riser's head with his weapon. Watching his opponent skid along the ground, Ryuji stomped on the ground while Captain Kidd spread its arms as if it were releasing a battle cry.

A small steam of lights circled Ryuji, charging up his next attack.

"Come on, Captain Kidd!" Ryuji cried out in anticipation as he ran forward while Riser was getting back up.

As the Devil groaned while shaking his head, he looked over and saw Ryuji leap into the air. The next moments came as if in slow motion. Riser saw the blonde about to bash his head in. But it was not only that. Behind the blonde was a giant fist looked ghostly yet made of metal at the same time rocketing towards him. Raising his arms, Riser desperately tried to defend himself.

Ryuji laid the final blow, the attack easily breaking through Riser's guard and beating the boy easily.

Slightly panting, Ryuji slowly walked back to see his work of the King lying inside of a crater. "Just as I said." His Persona disappeared and Ravel dropped to the ground. "Not as special as you think you are."

Quietly, all of the other Phantom Thieves approached him. But they each had small smiles as they each began to congratulate Ryuji. Not only that, but they commended each other on their teamwork.

"Still, was God Hand really necessary?" Ann asked.

Ryuji shrugged. "He had it coming to him."

 **TakeABreak**

"You all were incredible out there!" Asia exclaimed as the Phantom Thieves all walked back into the building of Gremory Manor with Ravel trailing behind them at a set distance. The humans and cat all changed back towards their suits since the fighting was over.

"H-hey, come on Asia-chan." Ann tried to quell the fellow female blonde. "There's no need to be that impressed or anything."

"But you were awesome, Ann-senpai! So was everyone else! In fact, everyone watching was impressed!" Issei exclaimed, gesturing towards the crowds that were watching them.

"…Right…" Makoto stated curtly. "I completely forgot about them." She then turned over to everyone. "I guess we technically made our debut here in the Underworld. That's nice… I guess." She wasn't really sure about that last part.

"Aw crap. You're right." Ryuji looked over to see many Devils staring and pointing at them. It didn't help that they did not keep their movements subtle. "Now what is going to happen? We going to have Devils constantly asking or trying to kill us in order to increase their Peerages and stuff?"

"Thankfully, no." Sona answered that question for all of them, stepping forward as well.

Rias was in perfect stride with her best friend. "Because of how you are my friends and how dear you all are to me, my brother is about to announce to everyone that you are off-limits and that your choices are to be respected." The red-head explained. "Sona's sister will do that as well. If you are converted, there will be consequences."

Futaba looked back at the crowd. "No offense or anything, but it kind of looks like they still are going to try anyways despite some strong guy's words."

"What should we do then?" Haru asked. "Akira-chan, any ideas?"

Akira slightly paced around, just thinking about something. "There is one, but I'm fairly sure that you guys won't lik-"

"Dude, it's you." Ryuji deadpanned. "We'll roll with whatever you want whether we like it or not."

Akira just stared at Ryuji for a second before looking over everyone else. All of them seemed to agree with the male blonde. "Sitri-san, Gremory-san, are these Devils as strong as gods?" Akira turned to look at the duo, who shook their heads while having weird looks.

"Only the Four Great Maou have such strength. Everyone else here do not compare to them much." Sona explained. "Why do you ask?"

Akira didn't answer, choosing to gather all of the Phantom Thieves close together. "Okay then. Futaba, I'm going to need you to do something for me."

All of their Devil friends soon began to hear whispers among them. From the distance other Devils were, there was no way to hear yet it could be made out that they were planning something. Akira, however, turned around and began to address the entire crowd in front of them.

"Hello, high-class Devils!" Akira greeted, spreading his arms out. His words however didn't seem to be much care to many of them as they continued to talk, not even concerned about his presence. "Listen everyone, you're all just having your own conversation. It's very distracting – very rude. So, could you all just quiet down for a minute because I! Am! Talking!"

Whether it was the volume of his voice or just the fact that Akira had the guts to yell at all of these Devils, it made them quiet down. Akira only nodded his head however in approval. Looking over to the side, they all noticed Sirzechs, Grayfia, and Serafall all watching from the side. It seemed like they were about to address the issue but still waiting apparently to see how this played out. How kind of them.

"Now that I have your attention, let me ask you a few questions." Akira clapped his hand together. "Just how strong do you think we all are?" A moment of silence. "Well, come on, you've all been talking to each other on how you're going to try and force us into your Peerages. Just how strong do you think we are?"

All of the Devils looked at one another, just wondering what the point that Akira was trying to make was. "I believe they all think you're all very strong. Not strong enough to beat them though." Sirzech spoke out loud, having a curious look at where Akira was going with this.

"Are we nothing more than mere, weak humans compared to you?" Akira asked. "Are we just low beings that are to be controlled and enslaved to your people?"

One of the Devils among the crowd seemed to snort. "As amusing as you are being, just what are you trying to tell us? Who are you to tell us what we should do?"

"…Okay, I'll tell you." Akira nodded his head. "After a few more questions however." He allowed the statement to sink in. "Just… three more questions. Are we afraid of you?"

As he asked this question, a holographic screen of green appeared right behind Akira. Seconds by second, images flashed back to back. Each display of a Shadow trying to attack them, presenting themselves before a fight was displayed on the screen. Behind all of it, Futaba was chuckling to herself at the presentation she was playing out.

"You're not the first bunch of Devils to come after us – oh – there have been so many. Devils, angels, monsters, you name them!" Akira gestured his hands out once more. But then he slowly began to have a knowing smile on his face. "But, onto the second question." He leaned forward. "Ever heard of the false god known as Yaldabaoth?"

Apparently, judging by how everyone stiffened, the name was well known. Whether it was for good or bad, it was not said. "And now the third and final question." Akira nonchalantly fiddled with his sleeves, namely the wrist area. "What happened to him?"

Walking off to the side and around, all of the high-class Devils were given a display of small scenes. Multiple flashes from a gatling gun were seen flickering on and off on Haru's face as she had her eyes narrowed towards a giant arm. The arm suddenly detached from a gigantic body as Futaba commanded Necronomicon's metal tentacle to grab and slam it against the large face. Makoto rode on Johanna, blue energy pelting the body continuously. Yusuke slid on a pathway of ice around the body thanks to Goemon, continuously firing his assault rifle without hesitation. Ann swung around on an arm due to her whip before flipping around and watching Carmen blast an arm off the body. Ryuji rode around on Captain Kidd's ship, continuously pelting the body with cannon balls and lightning. Morgana placed a Megido Bomb on an arm, jumping away while the blast extended the distance and Zorro enhanced the flames with winds.

The final images then showed themselves. A massive hole blown clean through the head of the massive body. The next scene was Akira pointing his gun in the direction of the crowd of Devils. All of the Devils were perhaps so immersed in the presentation that they all stepped back when they saw a gun being pointed directly at them.

But as soon as they did, Akira stepped right through the image. He was in his Phantom Thief outfit just like the image of him pointing the gun. But then when he went through the green, it suddenly disappeared. "Hello." Akira stuffed his hands into his pockets with a smile. "We're the Phantom Thieves."

All of them gathered right behind him. Morgana folded his arms with his blade attached to his back with a smirk. Ryuji had his staff resting right against his shoulders with a cocky grin. Ann grinned while stretching her whip in her hands. Yusuke slightly had his blade drawn, a cool expression worn. Makoto spun her weapons in her hands while being calm. Futaba mischievously snickered while folding her arms. Haru held her axe in one hand as the weapon rested on the ground with a straight look.

Not only that, but each of their Personas were out as well. Arsene. Zorro. Captain Kidd. Carmen. Goemon. Johanna. Necronomicon. Milady. Each one was right behind or next to their fellow self. It was truly an amazing yet terrifying sight at the same time.

"Basically..." Akira chuckled before looking over to the crowd with a confident look. "…Don't even think about it."

 **The fight was short, but I had a much more interesting time writing it than I expected. With that out of the way, SEASON 1 OF DXD IS FINALLY OVER! Now time to move onto Season 2. I wonder how long this will be.**

 **Plus, the Phantom Thieves finally make their debut with a fight and speech. Wonder how this will turn out.**

 **No flames please.**


	21. Chapter 21

**I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.**

"Hey guys, guess who just transferred to school?"

In the hallways of Kuoh Academy, most of the Phantom Thieves looked over to see who their hacker was referring to. Even the Devils of Rias' Peerage looked over. Everyone was in the summer school uniforms as the seasons were changing.

It was almost hard to believe that it was just a couple of weeks that they had fought against an entire Peerage. Not only that, but also Akira introducing their status as the Phantom Thieves in front of all of those high-class Devils. Also mentioning that they basically killed a god. That certainly caused a bit of tension.

Although there was a mixture of reactions between all of them. Three reactions to be precise. Some made sure that they were a respectable distance away from them, not exactly wanting to anger the powers that killed Yaldaboth. A few seemed to have a bit of praise for the group of humans, apparently the false god was not very well spoken of; a trait all of them understood. The rest only scoffed, as if thinking that their little display meant nothing and that they still would have a go at trying to convert them all.

Thankfully, Sirzechs and Serafall seemed to make it absolutely clear that the Phantom Thieves were off limits. That they were not to be harmed in any way, shape, or form from any of them or else there would be deadly consequences. So they pretty much were under the protection of the Devil.

Back to the present though, Akira, Morgana, Ryuji, Ann, and Yusuke all looked over in Futaba's direction with Rias and her Peerage. Each and every one of them, but Koneko, was surprised to see who Futaba was introducing to them. "Wait, what is she doing here?" Issei asked, cocking his head to the side in confusion. "Isn't she supposed to be in the Underworld?"

Ryuji looked over to the brunette, shrugging his shoulder. "I don't know, dude." He answered Issei's question. He then looked back to the person. "Didn't expect you showing up here, Ravel-san. Seriously, it never crossed my mind."

Said blonde female only gave Ryuji a small look. "Well, my parents heard about what Onii-sama had done with a helpful story from Lucifer-sama. He was severely punished for his deeds."

Ann only scratched her head. "What exactly does that have to do with going to Kuoh Academy?" She asked, folding her arms and leaning against the wall. "I mean, don't you have all sorts of private classes or something back at home? Shouldn't those at least be enough?"

"It possibly would." Ravel nodded her head, looking over towards Ann's direction. "But then after Lucifer-sama's story about how a group of humans managed to defeat Onii-sama easily, they asked where such humans resided." She ended that sentence with a sigh. "So, despite my position now being as a Bishop in my mother's Peerage, I am to attempt to find possible candidates to start my own Peerage when I am to be converted to a King piece."

"…They weren't thinking about us when they wanted you to start your Peerage, were they?" Ryuji asked.

Everyone slowly turned their heads to Ryuji. "I believe we were exactly on their minds." Yusuke stated.

"That was supposed to be rhetorical." Ryuji deadpanned, flatly looking at the blue-haired boy. He then rolled his back while letting out a little sigh of relief. "Anyways, what's it like for you right now? Having to be in the human world and all? Any different from the Underworld?"

Ravel fiddled with her pigtails. "Not very, other than classes being public." Her neutral look soon grew into a small scowl. "Although that does make me recall an unpleasant memory of everyone constantly whispering about me as if I couldn't hear them. Namely remarks from the male population. At least being seated next to Sakura-san was a bit reassuring."

"Don't worry, Ravel-chan, we'll all get through this together!" Futaba wrapped an arm around the blonde girl about her size, ignoring the surprised look the Phenex gave her. "It'll just be you, me, Koneko-chan, and school subjects that we probably may never end up using in our futures!"

"…" Ryuji just stared with everyone else at Futaba suddenly outburst. As all of the non-first years looked over to Koneko, the white-haired girl noticed their looks and just shrugged her shoulders. "Uh, Futaba, I think you should let Ravel-san go now." Ryuji noted.

Ravel however just struggled out of Futaba's grasp. "Please give me a bit of warning before doing that." She stated, slowly shuffling away from the ginger.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Everyone turned their heads once more. This time, their sights were greeted by Sona and Tsubaki. Both of them seemed to have neutral faces on. But then there was some kind of mood behind their looks that everyone seemed to read. "Sona," Rias nodded her head in a greeting. "Is something wrong? You make your words sound like it is important."

"Yes, this is important." The black-haired female nodded her head in response to Rias' question. "Complicated to be a bit more precise. However, this conversation is something prefer to hold to a limited amount of people." She then pointed to Rias and then Akira. "Rias, Akeno, Akira, the three of you with me to the Student Council room, now."

Akira noted the tone in Sona's voice. Sounded like she was serious. However, there was still one issue. "What about Morgana?" He gestured to the bag that was partially unzipped. "Should I leave him with the others?"

Sona only stared and managed to catch a peek at the cat peeking back at her. The female considered her options for a few seconds before nodding her head. "No, bring him along. You two seem to be the ones in charge so it's best if the both of you listen."

Akira only nodded his head. Rias did too. "Of course." Rias answered for them all. "Now should we start going now?" She then looked over as Akira, Sona, and Tsubaki started walking. "Kiba-kun, you are in charge until I get back, okay?"

"Understood, Buchou." Kiba nodded his head and Rias turned to catch up with the other three.

"…Huh…" Issei said, unsure of what even to say at what had just occurred. "What do you guys think that was about? I've never seen the student council president so serious before. Well, she's serious all the time. But this time-"

"I think we all get the point, Issei-kun." Ann sighed, watching five figures turn a corner. "But you're right. I wonder what the issue is…"

"Yeah…" Futaba noted, nodding her head as several murmurs within their group agreed with one another quietly. She then turned over to Ravel. "What do you think, Ravel-chan?" Her question was slightly louder than it needed to be.

However, the female-blonde Devil only stared at Futaba with a disturbed look. Shuffling away once again, she made her way behind Ryuji so she could hide behind him. The human blonde however had a surprised look on his face. "Keep her away from me." Ravel whispered loud enough for Ryuji to hear, glancing cautiously towards the hacker.

"…Seriously?" Ryuji asked.

 **TakeABreak**

As Akira, Morgana, Rias, and Akeno all entered the room, they noticed it was empty. Akira opened the zipper of his bag and gave enough room for the cat to crawl out so it would have some space to move since nobody would be around to see them. Hearing a click, the door had been closed and all of them could start having their talk.

"So, Sona, what are we here to discuss?" Rias asked, taking a seat that Akira was well familiar with since he sat in it multiple times as well. Akeno decided to stand next to her King to stay a bit close. "Something tells me that it clearly is heavy on your mind."

"And what it possibly has to do with us as well." Akira was in a different seat off to the side. His position was the perfect distance away yet between the two Kings of different Peerages.

"That is a good point, Akira-kun." Rias nodded her head in his direction before looking back to Sona, who had taken a seat at her desk. "What kind of an issue is there to also involve the Phantom Thieves? After all, we've both witnessed how capable each and every one of them are."

"…" Sona closed her eyes, thinking about what to say. The girl knew what the topic was to be about. Speaking it however was a bit of a task. Releasing a small hum, she figured out her words as she opened her eyes. "It was this morning." She began. "Two people from the Church contacted me."

Akira craned his neck over. The Church was supposed to be under the faction of Heaven, right? But if that was the case… "Contacted you?" Akira asked.

Akeno placed a hand to her chin. "How?" She asked, seeming to be a bit concerned.

"It's been a while since they last came to this town." Rias stated. "Did they tell you what they wanted?"

"They did." Sona confirmed with a nod of her head. "Rias, they said that they wanted to speak with you and that it was urgent."

The red-head took in a small breath of surprise. "The members of the Church want to speak with a Devil?" A small, thoughtful look was on her face. "What are they up to? There's no other reason for them to be here except to stir up trouble." She then sighed. "All right then, what did you say?"

Sona took off her glasses and began to polish them. "I accepted their request. I told them where they could find you and they will be paying you a visit after school tomorrow."

Rias slowly turned her head yet kept both eyes on her friend. "…What?" She asked.

The black-haired female however just put on her glasses once more. "There is other thing that you need to be aware of." She added.

Tsubaki, however, was the one to continue to explanation. "Not only were these two member of the Church, but they were also carrying holy swords."

"Whoa, holy swords, really?" Morgana asked, walking around the floor as he managed to gain everyone's attention. "Isn't that stuff deadly to Devils so they should be confiscated from them? If they were to be allowed to roam the town so they wouldn't harm others? Why would they even be here to begin with?"

"Despite the Church being enemies of the Devils, they still respect humanity and their laws are exactly like the ones you all follow." Sona simply explained. "However, I did not receive a reason for their presences in this town."

Akira cocked an eyebrow. For such a detail to be left alone… "There was no way you would forget to ask something like that, Sona-san." He shook his head. "Does that mean that you have questioned their reason to be here?"

"Correct." The black-haired female nodded her head. "However, they said that the matter was not to be discussed in public. Even when I invited them in to talk privately, they denied my offer and only walked away."

Akira only hummed, putting a hand to his chin. Morgana however had a question. "What does that have to do with me and Akira then?" The cat asked, hopping up onto a chair that was near Sona's desk. "There's got to be a reason for you to be inviting Akira into this conversation at least."

Sona looked over towards the feline. "So far, the Phantom Thieves have been a neutral party. Despite your aid towards both my Peerage and Rias', your group has no standing in any factions. Even when it comes down to Azazel-san, your interactions are limited at times. Which is why you will be attending such a meeting as well as overseers to make sure events do not turn out of hand."

"...Out of hand you say." Akira parroted the female and received a nod from her for confirmation. He then looked over to Morgana who stared right back at him. "That shouldn't exactly happen, should it? None of the factions so far would want to risk creating a war with one another. So, there wouldn't be any point in me needing to attend such."

"Possibly, but the risk is still there." Sona agreed but then also disagreed with Akira's statement.

Akira only settled for staring at Sona. Taking in a deep breath, he pointed upwards however as if he were about to provide a counter-point. But then he simply closed his mouth soon after and sighed. "Problem though. I'm busy tomorrow. I could possibly get someone else to replace me."

Sona partially frowned. "I was hoping you would be the one to attend as you are the leader of the Phantom Thieves. Although you title and identity would be kept secret by us, of course. But, if that is how it must be, for someone else to replace you…" She took in a small breath. "As long as it can either be Morgana-san, Makoto-san, or even possibly Haru-san. The rest of you would not seemed to be ones that would appropriate for such talking."

"…No offense to them either, but I have to agree with you there." Akira nodded his head only then to cock it to the side a second later. "Then what was the point of just having this conversation private if I could just end up telling everyone about it?"

Sona kept an even gaze fixed on Akira. "Because if I did, they it would imply that the rest of Rias' Peerge would be invited as well and I did not want for that to be so with how high the issue is."

…Akira was not exactly sure if that was the only thing on Sona's mind, but then he just decided to nod. "All right then…" He said slowly, looking over towards Morgana. The cat just gave him a look that basically said that it was Akira's choice of who should attend. But then it came to his mind. "What about you, Sitri-san? Shouldn't this be a concern for you as well?"

"Despite this town being considered Devil territory, this entire area actually belongs to my Gremory family." Rias explained for the human and cat in the room. "Due to this, Sona is not exactly able to be involved in all events since most of the responsibility falls upon me."

The human took in a little bit of air before releasing a small breath. "Right. So, am I free to go now? I'll have to tell this to everyone and see if Makoto or Haru are both free tomorrow if this is the case." He stated as Morgana began to make his way over towards him.

"Yes, I do believe this is the end of our discussion." Rias noted as Akira put his bag to the ground so that Morgana could crawl back into it. "Now, Akira-kun, I don't want any one of you tailing those two from the Church."

Akira only looked up. "Wasn't really thinking of it, but now that you mention such… Sitri-san, what did those two wea-?" He then heard Rias clear her throat and it cut him off. "Only joking, Gremory-san."

Rias placed a hand to her chin however with a bit of concern. "But it does make me wonder… If they're holy sword users, why would they come to this town?"

 **TakeABreak**

"Hmm… that is pretty concerning."

Makoto was frowning while Haru had a slightly worried expression on her face when Akira and Morgana had just explained the situation to them. Since he had already revealed the information to the Phantom Thieves that were younger than the ones in college, the four of them were having their small conversation. "Sitri-san mentioned that they were holy sword users, right?" Makoto asked. "What do you think that they are doing here?"

"Whatever it is, it must be bad if they are here." Haru said, looking a bit to the floor in thought. "If such wielders are considered strong and important, than something bad must have happened. As Mako-chan has said, one has to wonder their reasoning to why they are here."

"Yeah, it was odd that they didn't leave any sort of reasoning for Sitri-san at all." Morgana added. "They just up and left when they could have talked to her in private today."

"Either way, I have to let Sitri-san know which one of us will be attending the meeting if possible." Akira stated, sitting down while spinning his phone on his fingers. "Again, I'm not exactly sure if we are needed for such a meeting, but it would be better to appease her."

"…" Makoto let out a small breath. "I am free tomorrow. So, I guess I will be the one attending this meeting to make sure things don't go out of hand."

"I'll be there with you." Morgana stated, pacing around the table. "It's better if there is two of us rather than one since there are two from the Church."

Akira only nodded his head as he began to text the information down. But before he finished, he looked up towards Haru. "What about you, Haru?" He asked.

The female shook her head. "I need to help out at the Neko no Mise with you, remember?"

"…Ah, right." Akira said to himself as he began to text. [ _Makoto and Morgana are both going to attend the meeting tomorrow._ ]

He had to wait a moment, but then Sona answered back. [ _Thank you for your confirmation. Although, why did you not tell Rias instead? She is the one to host the conversation tomorrow after all as well as there going to be my lack of presence._ ]

[ _I don't have her number._ ] Akira simply responded back immediately.

Now this reply came a few seconds longer than before. Akira didn't blame Sona. His answer was something many people would just pause at. [ _You are serious, aren't you?_ ] Akira didn't get the chance to reply back. [ _Never mind. I'll tell have to inform Rias myself then. Once more, thank you for letting me know. Good night, Akira-san._ ]

[ _Night, Sitri-san._ ]

Putting his phone onto sleep mode, there was a sudden ring at their doorbell. Everyone present looked towards the door in reaction to such a sudden noise. "Hmm, that's peculiar…" Haru trailed off, making her way towards the door where a guest was possibly waiting. "Who could be visiting us? There was no notice of anybody coming…"

Just as she was halfway to her destination however, Haru decided to suddenly have her Phantom Thief clothing ready. Akira, Makoto, and Morgana saw this and also turned into their Phantom Thief outfits. There was still the possibility of Devils just trying to go at them any ways despite the risk of disobeying Sirzechs so it wouldn't hurt just in case.

As Haru peeked through the eyehole the door provided, she was back to her normal wear within a second and everyone else did the same thing. Grabbing the knob, she opened the door. "Ah, Vali-kun," She stated with a bit of surprise. "This is an unexpected visit. Please, come in. Can I get you anything to nibble on? Maybe something to drink?"

Vali, taking Haru's invitation to come inside, only gave Haru an odd look when she asked if he wanted any kind of refreshments. If he could say a single word to describe her, it would be motherly. "Just plain water will be fine. Is your leader here?"

Haru nodded her head. "Ah, yes, he's just in the living room. Please, take a seat on the couch while I get your water."

As Vali slowly made his way towards the couch, while Haru was going to grab his water, he noticed three of the Phantom Thieves staring at him. "It must be surprising to you all, me just visiting on my own without Azazel knowledge."

Akira raised an eyebrow. "You're not here on Azazel-san's terms?"

Vali shook his head. "No, I am not." He began to sit down on the couch that was across the one Akira, Morgana, and Makoto sat on. "Azazel is currently occupied with something that concerns his mind. Such concerns I took upon myself to warn you all about."

Makoto blinked. "Huh…" She said slowly with a bit of surprise. "You… don't exactly seem to be the type of person concerned with us."

Vali only raised an eyebrow of his own. "Well, I guess it would be best not to judge a book by it's cover." He simply replied, causing Makoto to frown at his words. "Azezel however would be disappointed if you all would possibly be injured greatly and I would have to constantly deal with his grief and whining. Also… the coffee your leader and Haru Okumura make. It's good and would be disappointing if you were to die."

"Well, either way," Haru arrived from the side, hearing the latter half of Vali's explanation. There was a transparent glass of water for the person in her hands which she placed in front of the one who requested such. "Your concern for us is greatly appreciated, Vali-kun." Haru smiled as the male merely grunted to answer while taking a sip. "Although… what do you mean if we were to die?"

With his mouth full of water, Vali only swallowed the liquid before placing his glass down. "I'm sure that the Gremory and Sitri have told you all about a couple of exorcists coming into Kuoh as well as their reasons?" He asked, leaning back into the couch that was provided for him.

Akira only looked at his surrounding comrades. "We know that two members of the Church are here. As for their reasons, they didn't tell Sitri-san at all. It seems that they want to keep their explanations private so only Gremory-san would be able to know."

"There isn't much point in an action like that." Vali only stated, sipping the water. Akira could have sworn that the person even did a small eyeroll due to them thinking that not telling their intentions right away was stupid. Akira didn't blame him for doing so if that were the case. "Perhaps it was a terrible thing to not address the issue immediately actually."

"Why?" Morgana questioned. "What's so bad that it needs to be looked into right away?"

Vali took a large gulp this time from his glass. "Two things." He stated as Haru took the glass and walked off to refill it for the male. "First of all, three of the Excaliburs were stolen from the Church faction. Second-"

"Whoa, hold on a minute." Morgana interrupted the boy who slightly frowned in annoyance at the cat just suddenly cutting him off. "Three of the Excaliburs? What's that supposed to mean? I thought there was only one and that was supposed to be wielded by King Arthur."

"in a sense, you are correct." Vali nodded his head a bit. That just led to confusion being on Makoto, Akira, and Morgana's faces. "There was the original Excalibur wielded long ago. But then it ended up being broken at some point, and the pieces were made into seven swords that still wore the name Excalibur in them."

Makoto slightly frowned. "Why not just restore Excalibur to its full form rather than creating seven new swords."

"Probably because of humanities greed of simply seeing the pieces as a new array of weapons." Akira stated, letting out a small breath as he rubbed his head due to having a feeling that he knew where this was going. "Why keep one powerful item when you can have seven at once?" Leaning forward as his elbows rested on his knees, there was a hand on his chin. "Let me guess, you know who has stolen them?"

Vali only nodded his head as Haru arrived with another cup of water for the male. "Correct. As expected from the leader of the Phantom Thieves. That leads down to the second part before I was cut off by your cat." He gave Morgana a pointed look before sipping his water, this intake smaller than the previous times.

"And just who is this person that has stolen three of the Excaliburs then?" Akira asked.

Swallowing, Vali put his glass down. He let a pause settle in, just to see if they knew how much business his visit meant. "Kokabiel, the Fallen Angel of the Stars." He stated, giving them looks to make sure they would not disturb him. "One of the leaders of the Grigori that has also survived the Great War. He was the one who has stolen the Excaliburs."

"…Okay…" Haru said slowly. "But what does that have to do with us dying?"

"Kokabiel's goal is to try and start another Great War." Vali stated as if it were nothing. But the alarmed reactions that the Phantom Thieves' had proved that is should be anything but nothing. "At least, that is what can be assumed. Kokabiel enjoys war, so he at least assumed that stealing the Excaliburs would be enough to anger the Heaven faction."

"Start another war?" Haru questioned with a slight gasp. "But… why?" She looked down. "Why would this person want such an outcome?"

"I just said he enjoys war, remember?" Vali reminded the female coolly. "Not only that, but he believes that the Fallen Angels are the strongest race and strives to prove it by doing such."

"But, so far as we can tell, that would only be related to Heaven's side." Makoto stated, seeming to pace around on her spot. "Just stealing the Excaliburs wouldn't exactly result in a Great War since the Devil's side is not involved in any way…" Makoto began to trail off as Vali gave her a look, realization pouring into her thoughts. "Unless Kokabiel is to use the Excaliburs and attack Sitri-san and Gremory-san."

"…" Akira lifted his phone. "I'm going to warn Sitri-san. Right now." He stated as he immediately began to move his thumbs quickly.

"Are you aware of Kokabiel's whereabouts?" Morgana frowned. "Are we sure that's he actually in this city?"

Looking over to a clock that could be seen, Vali saw the time. Reaching for the glass, he finished the remaining amount of water before putting it on the table. "We've lost track of Koabiel's movements when he stole the Excaliburs. But since there are two strangers that are with the Church in the city, there is a high possibility that is the case." He answered before standing up. "It's time for me to go now."

Haru blinked. "Ah, okay. Please, let me see you out." She offered as Vali began to walk away, leaving the other Phantom Thieves to discuss what should be done next. As she trailed after the male, she opened the door for the man. "Thank you for giving us your warning. Even if your intentions are… unexpected."

"It is a small truth." Vali only confirmed without looking back.

But then as Vali was about to walk fully away, something came into Haru's mind. "Would you like to come over for a cup of coffee sometime then?" She asked. She blinked when she thought she saw Vali's stride mess up just for a split-second. "Well, you did say that the coffee we make is to you liking. So why not come over for a cup when we're around?"

Her explanation was provided when Vali turned around to give Haru a raised eyebrow. As Vali just stared, he watched as Haru merely smiled politely. But that smile alone only made Vali turn his head slightly away so only one eye could see Haru's face. "You're just inviting me over something so simple?"

Haru only blinked. "Does an invitation have to be so complicated?" She asked while tilting her head.

Vali closed his eyes and sighed, craning his head back so his face would look up towards the night sky. "… I suppose it does not have to be." Vali breathed after a few moments of silence. Opening his eyes, he brought his full gaze over to Haru. "Will tomorrow suffice?"

The female only shook her head. "Sorry. I'm working at the Neko no Mise café tomorrow." She apologized with a slightly disappointed reaction. But then the look on her face brightened up. "But then you can arrive some time after I finish school. Just hold on one moment." She said.

Vali only stood in place as he watched Haru rush into the house. He didn't have to wait long. Only a couple of minutes it he were to be specific. After that amount of time had passed, Haru jogged back to the door and handed him a small piece of paper. "What is this?" He asked when he opened the object he was given.

"It's the address of the café and my number if you want to contact me just in case you would be in the mood for any thing else." Haru explained in her usual manner. After that, she pulled out her phone. "What about you? Do you have a phone number that I could put onto my phone?"

Vali, staring down at the paper at first, slowly looked up to the woman who was still speaking to him. "I do not own a cellphone." He simply stated, causing Haru to put her phone back into her pocket with a small sheepish look.

"Ah." Haru only said before nodding her head.

Vali only nodded back. Turning around, he heard the door creaking shut behind him. "Haru Okumura…" He said just before the door fully closed. Haru stopped what she was doing, her eyes seen just behind a small space that there was left before the barrier would be fully shut. "…Thank you for your offer." He completed.

Haru blinked before smiling gently and shutting the door.

Turning back around to go off the property, Vali just took in a deep breath. Rubbing his face, he placed his hands into his pockets before walking away.

 **Yup, Ravel is in Kuoh Academy and Vali gave the Phantom Thieves and early warning about Kokabiel to start off Season 2. Somethings may seem not appropriate to some of you, but I think they're a bit suitable due to situations.**

 **No flames please.**


	22. Chapter 22

**I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.**

"…Remind me again why you're sticking around here rather than being at home or attending this meeting thing with Gremory-san?"

Ryuji was inside of the library of Kuoh Academy. It was an incredibly rare sight, and even the male blonde had to admit such a thing. But then sadly, exams were coming up. Normally, he wouldn't really take the time to review everything he may or may have not learned about in class. However, even he was feeling the pressure of having to get out of third-year.

He had no idea how he managed to pass second year, but he did. While he was happy about that kind of thing, having to live apart from his mother made him realize something.

While he was living with the Phantom Thieves, that didn't mean that he was going to be with them forever. There was still a huge world out there. Futures for them all to consider.

Akira at least considered going to university before going into something of his choice. Ann had herself set for trying to be a model… or was it actress? Yusuke was already wanting to be an artist. Makoto had the goal of a police woman in mind. Futaba had a couple of years left to decide. Haru was set to be take on the Okumura Food Company but she still had school in order to learn more about that kind of world. Morgana was a cat, so he didn't have to worry at all.

The sound of fingers snapping brought him out of his thoughts as the clicking was constantly happening right in front of his face. Jerking his head back, he looked over to the person who was the source of the sound.

"Were you even listening to anything that I was saying?" Ravel questioned, bringing her hand back and sitting back down into her chair. Grabbing a pencil, she played around with it between her index finger and thumb as she folded her arms.

"Err… no. Sorry." Ryuji shook his head and mumbled his apology. Rubbing his head, he casted his gaze down a bit towards the books that were set around him messily.

Ravel sighed. "Well, just like you, I am studying for exams. While I am familiar with some of the content this school offers, I still must take looks upon areas I do not seem to know so well. I did just join this school yesterday after all, and therefore must abide by their rules." She unfolded her arms and tapped her pencil on a notebook. "As for why I'm not attending the meeting that Germory-san is taking part in at the moment, it is because this is her territory. In no way do I have any right to participate unless I am invited."

"That's kind of stupid. I mean, aren't you supposed to be important as well?" Ryuji asked without looking up. But then Ravel didn't answer so he didn't proceed to question any further. It then occurred to him. "Wait, then why not study with Futaba then? She's pretty familiar with a lot of this stuff you've just started going through as well as the stuff before that."

Peeking up, Ryuji saw Ravel fidget in place in an unpleased manner. The blonde also seemed to look just a bit uncomfortable as well. "Just having to be next to her sometimes exhausts me." The female blonde griped a bit.

Ryuji immediately thought back to that time Futaba had suddenly pulled Ravel into a one-armed hug yesterday. "Ah… right…"

"Also," Ravel added, pointing a single finger up as if she had been going off of a mental list. "You're the only one I actually know among all of you people. Because of this, you are most comfortable to be around apart from the others for me."

He blinked. "Huh… you're actually right now that you mention it." Ryuji scratched the top of his head. "You're only interactions in this world have only been with me."

"Your peers have asked me to keep an eye on you as well." Ravel threw in a bit more information. She then used the eraser end of her pencil to tap Ryuji's notebook a couple of times. "They wanted me to make sure that you were actually taking the time to study and not slack off."

…" Ryuji gave Ravel a bit of a flat stare. Reaching into his pocket, the blonde male fished out his phone. "I can still call Futaba you know."

 **TakeABreak**

The situation could have been a lot tenser if Makoto and Morgana were not in the same room sitting between two groups. Nothing seemed out of place in the Occult Research Club room. Everything looked just as it always did. The only difference between now and every other time Rias Gremory and her Peerage spent time in the room were the two guests sitting on the couch.

Both of them looked like ordinary teenager girls… provided the fact that they wore long white cloaks while one of them carried some large object wrapped in cloth. Judging by the size and shape however, it was certainly something extremely important.

The one on the right had light brown hair in twin tails tied on either saide of her head. Each tail was long, traveling all the way down to her backside. Her eyes were a bright violet and had a rather cheery disposition. She just sat in her spot, smiling brightly, seeming to be unbothered by the fact that she was surrounded by a Devils.

The other girl had messy, chin-length blue hair. Her eyes were yellow and had fair skin. While the twin-tailed girl's features were clearly of Japanese origin, thei girl had the appearance of a European. Something that stood out was the green fringe of hair on the right side of the girl's face. Unlike her companion, this girl was rather serious. Her eyes were completely blank, almost hiding what was really going on in her mind. But then there was something behind her gaze; complete and utter confidence in herself and her purpose.

Both girls sat across from Rias and her Peerage. All but Asia, Issei, Makoto, and Morgana looked at the pair of strangers with distrust in their eyes. The scene was a bit worse since Kiba was glaring at the two girls like he was going to kill them right on the spot at that exact moment. The two Phantom Thieves however hoped that he would be able to keep his anger in check.

"So you are the two member of the Vatican Church who requested to see me." Rias crossed her arms under her chest, presenting an image of a confident young woman. "I'm honestly quite surprised. I've never had a member of the Church try contacting me before."

"Circumstances dictated that we have this meeting." The blue-haired female replied. "Believe me when I say that we would never want to sully ourselves by being in the presence of Devils if we could help it. But the situation we find ourselves in is strange."

Makoto made a noise to clear her throat. She was sure that Rias wouldn't rise to that insult, but then the two parties needed a reminder about the topic at hand rather than being able to throw in a verbal jab every now and then. If one side were to lash out, the other would be on the higher ground in their negotiations. She wanted this sort of business to be on fair ground as she knew the matter that was to be discussed was important.

The blue-haired female eyed Makoto and the brunette only challenged the gaze with a straight one of her own. The two females stared at each other for a few seconds before the yellow-eyed one looked back towards Rias. "I thought this meeting was requested only for you and the ears for Devils of this territory. Why is a non-Devil here?"

"Gremory-san has invited me to participate in this meeting as a neutral party to make sure things to not go out of hand." Makoto answered, making sure to keep her body neutral where she sat. "My name is Makoto Nijima. May I ask what your names are?"

The bubbly girl among the two of them blinked before realization dawned on her face. "Ah, that's right! How rude of us to not give our names. I'm Irina Shidou, and this is Xenovia."

Xenovia however still kept her eye on Makoto. The brunette noted how she was being judged at the moment. Morgana only stretched his jaw open to yawn, feeling a bit bored having to play the part of a normal cat at the moment.

"So I see." Rias noted, grabbing the attention of the current situation. "Very well then, you two have requested this meeting. What is it that you wished to discuss with me?" She supported her chin with her thumb and index finger. "Is it perhaps about the stolen Excaliburs and the Fallen Star, Kokabiel?"

Xenovia narrowed her eyes. It seemed like she thought there was no point in lying. "And just how do you know that?" She asked a bit dangerously. "Explain how you were able to get a hold of that information." A single second passed before it struck something in her mind. "Was it her who told you? Is she really a spy for the Devils? You said that she was to act as a neutral party. By telling you this information, she has proved herself to be affiliated with the Devils."

"How we managed to gather your reasoning here is not the concern here." Rias' lips twitched, threatening to go down into a frown at the baseless accusation.

"Gremory-san, if I may?" Makoto asked politely, her voice being normal in volume. Seeing the red-head nod, the brunette gained many eyes looking at her. "Xenovia-san, you are correct when assuming that it was I who helped give Gremory-san the reason that you are in this town in a sense. I am a part of a neutral organization and our leader was the one to inform Sitri-san who let Gremory-san know. We are people that are concerned for humanity, and Gremory-san respects our idea while supporting it at the same time. If what we've been informed about Kokabiel from our sources is true, then that is something that the Devils of this territory must know about so they will be able to take actions in order to protect the people that live here."

Xenovia saw red-eyes narrow a bit towards her. She challenged that gaze but then soon looked away. "You claim this group of yours are to be a part of no faction, yet you are siding with the Devils."

"We do not join sides. We only help whenever and wherever we think we are needed in anyway we can." Makoto stated, her tone steeling a bit. That one sentence left a small impact through the entire room. Silence broke through until Makoto took a small breath. "Now, we were on the topic of stolen Excaliburs and Kokabiel?"

"…Your source is correct." Xenovia finally spoke, a small breath of defeat escaping her mouth. She was not very pleased. "Due to such events, we have tracked Kokabiel here and are to retrieve the holy swords."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a minute." Issei said in a confused voice. Realizing that he suddenly had all of the attention, he blushed a bit sheepishly. "I don't really get it. You say holy swords, as in plural. I always thought there was only one Excalibur."

"That is partly correct, Issei-kun." Rias turned her head and nodded. "There was only one Excal-"

"Hold on a second. Issei-kun? As in Issei Hyoudou?!" Irina cut Rias off mid-sentence as the former girl leaned as far as she could forward in her spot towards the male brunette. "It's me, don't you remember?! We used to play a lot as kids before I had to move-"

This time, Makoto was the one to cut the person off as she knocked on the table. "I'm sorry, but we can save the pleasantries for later. Right now, there is a reason why you are both here and we should fixate on that."

"Oh, yes, right." Irina said with rapid pauses. "Anyways, the original Excalibur was broken during the Great War. The fragments were then collected and attempted to be reforged by the Church. Our alchemists weren't strong enough and lacked the material to repair the blade entirely, so it was forged into seven different swords."

After her small explanation, Irina moved her arm, revealing a skin-tight black bodysuit underneath. The Church follower then grabbed a small string tied around her arm. The string lengthened and wiggled as if it were alive, then changed shape, straightening, solidifying, hardening, before eventually morphing into a long katana.

Morgana and Makoto looked at each other, surprised at the action. The two of them looked over the reactions of Rias' Peerage. The red-head warily eyed the weapon. Asia was frightened as she was awed. Issei was taking care of the blonde though, arm slightly wrapped around hers. Akeno stared at the weapon carefully. Koneko shifted in her place, fidgeting a bit. Kiba's eyes only narrowed even more, a clear hatred for what was in front of his eyes.

"This is Excalibur Mimic. It has the ability to change shape into anything I want it to, so it's really useful to have around. Unlike Xenovia, I can just carry it like this." Irina explained as the sword changed back into a string before wrapping it around her arm again.

Makoto then turned her head back to the two exorcists. "Could you please at least give warning if you are going to reveal your weapons? Just bringing it out without any indication could almost seem like an attempt of attack." She frowned a bit, but then it was pretty light.

Irina scratched her cheek. "Sorry." She apologized.

Xenovia had a much larger frown than Makoto however. "You shouldn't give away your Excalibur's power to a bunch of Devils, Irina." She scolded her companion. Looking around though, all of the Devils and even Irina was giving her expectant looks. She sighed. "This is my Excalibur." The blue-haired female unwrapped her weapon, revealing what appeared to be a giant sword. "It's called Excalibur Destruction. It is one of the three Excaliburs in the Church's possession. As you know, three of the blades have been stolen but the seventh one was lost sometime after the war."

"And they were stolen by Kokabiel…" Rias rubbed her forehead to rid herself of an incoming headache. "My territory has been filled with incidents like this lately." She partially groaned, but then got back to the topic at hand. "So what is it that you want from me?"

Xenovia raised an eyebrow. "From you? Nothing. We want nothing from you. All we want, our request, is that you stay out of our affairs. What's happening here I between the Church and the Fallen Angels. Devils have no business interfering in this."

"I see." Rias replied back. "Are you worried that I might side with the Fallen Angels, thinking that my Peerage and I might be in collaboration with the Fallen Angels to steal the holy swords Excalibur?" There was curiosity in her tone as she eyed Makoto, trying to make sure that the brunette didn't see her words as a means to rile the opposition up.

"Headquarters did not deny the possibility of that being the case." Xenovia said mildly. "After all, holy swords are the enemy of your kind. They are one of your greatest weaknesses. The Church understands this simple fact and has come to realize that it wouldn't be unusual if the Fallen Angels and Devils joined forces. Both sides stand to profit a lot if the holy swords went missing from the Church."

Makoto saw the bit of displeasure, besides Asia and Issei, that the Devils were giving due to the implications the two exorcists were making. "Then I hope you understand that if we are to stay out of your affairs, then you are unable to receive any support from us."

"Of course." Xenovia nodded her head while standing up. Irina took that as a sign to get up as well, reminding them all of who was in charge between the two of them. "We will not take up any more of your time."

The female brunette let out a small breath of relief. Yes, many could say that her presence was perhaps pointless in this meeting. But it was better safe than sorry in case something did break out. Thankfully, they only had to be reminded once or twice throughout the entire ordeal.

But as the two exorcists began to walk out of the room, Xenovia eyed Asia once more and the blonde flinched at it. Her gaze pierced the former-nun's entire being as the girl began to feel a bit uncomfortable. "Aren't you Asia Argento?" Xenovia asked.

Asia blinked. "Hm? Ah, ye-yes." She answered nervously.

"…It makes sense that I'd run into a witch like this."

Xenovia's comment was as loud despite it being made from her usual volume. Irina followed up, but then if it was meant with bad intent or not was unknown. "Oh my gosh, it is you!" The light-brown haired girl said. "You're the former saint who became a witch! I had heard that you were banished because you had the power to heal Fallen Angels and Devils, and that one time you actually used it! You must be pretty strong. I didn't know you'd actually become a Devil yourself."

As the words just kept coming, it made Asia looked down and refuse to make eye contact. "We-well, I… guess so."

"I believe that comments like that should be stopped." Makoto did not look very happy as she stood up and stepped around the room so she would be standing right next to Asia. Putting a hand on the blonde's shoulder, her look was directed to the duo. "Did you not say that you will not take up anymore of Gremory-san's time?"

Asia continued to shake like a leaf in a storm, a bit of a hiccup escaping her throat. That sound made Issei worry. "…Hey, are you okay?" He asked, although he had a feeling he knew the answer and didn't like it.

"Of course she's not." Xenovia stated. "She went from being a saint to a Devil. That's about as far as one can fall."

"That's-"

"Shut up!"

Issei beat Makoto to the punch as everyone looked over to the male brunette stepping forward. "Why don't you two take that crap out of here?"

Koneko grabbed the back of Issei's uniform and pulled him back. "Oi, down I-cchi." She commented.

"Koneko-san is right, Issei-kun." Makoto brought Asia close to her body so she could embrace the blonde comfortingly. She was doing a really bad job at making sure that nothing would break out between the two factions though. Xenovia just had talk to Asia.

Morgana however hopped up on Makoto's shoulder. "Just wait a moment." He whispered into Makoto's ear. "Let's just see how this plays out." Makoto wanted to still interfere right then and there, but then she decided to give Morgana the benefit of the doubt.

"Do you still believe in our God, Asia Argento?" Xenovia questioned, turning her body so she would be fully facing the blonde female. "You would not be the first to still believe in the Lord even after their selfish actions." There was a silent nod from Asia. "Though you have sinned in the worst way possible, if you sacrifice your soul to him you will be forgiven. Let yourself be convicted by my hand. God will work through me to save you."

"That's a load of bull crap!" Issei exclaimed, getting as far as he could away from Koneko until his uniform finally restrained him. "You constantly call Asia-chan a sinner and a witch, but you're wrong! You just call her that because of an action she committed without her knowledge or intention! They imply that she is evil when I know that there is not even a single sinful bone in her body!"

"Believe me, calling her a witch is one of the nicest thing I could call them for what she has-"

"I don't want to hear it!" Issei roared back at Xenovia, tearing himself out of Koneko's grip and grabbing Xenovia by the collar of her cloak. "If you claim that God will work through you to save her, why didn't he save Asia-chan before then?! Where was he when she still kept her faith even when she was on the verge of dying?! Where was your precious God when the Church abandoned her?! Where was he when she was all alone with nobody to turn to for help?! Tell me! Tell me!"

"Enough!"

Makoto yelled loudly to make sure that everyone did as she told them. Snapping her hands forward, she ripped Issei away from Xenovia."Issei-kun, cool it!" She snapped at the brunette before turning her attention away. "As I've said before, I believe that you didn't want to take up anymore of Gremory-san's time." She walked towards Xenovia and Irina. "What were the words again? Do not judge, or you too will be judged? For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you?"

"Where did you learn that?" Morgana whispered.

"Preachers off the street." Makoto muttered back before addressing the exorcists again. "What gives you the right to judge Asia for what she has done? That it not your decision to make. I suggest that you follow your own words and leave before I have to get Gremory-san and her Peerage to keep me calm and prevent me from lashing out."

Xenovia's yellow eyes gazed at Makoto's red ones once more. But then it lasted for a second before Xenovia left without a word. Irina only flashed them a small apologetic smile before jogging behind her partner.

A sigh escaped Makoto's lips as she rubbed her head. "I can't believe I lost my cool there." She groaned, sitting down on the couch. "And I was supposed to be the one to make sure things didn't get out of hand. Yet they clearly did, and I didn't do a single thing about it."

"That's okay, at least you managed to stop Issei-kun." Rias commented.

The mentioned brunette though only kept his gaze towards the door. "That damn girl… I'm definitely going to remember their names… Xenovia-san and Shidou-san… Shidou… Shidou, Shidou, Shidou…" He continued to mutter to himself. He then snapped her head up. "Wait, that's the name of the guy who played with me as a kid!" A moment of silence fell for the brunette as it began to register itself in his mind. "Wait, she's actually a girl?!"

"…Issei's flashbacks aside," Morgana commented, finally being able to talk at a normal volume. "There is one thing that has been bothering me through the entire conversation."

The cat then looked over to Kiba who had a rather displeased look on his face before realizing that the exorcists were gone, and all eyes were on him.

 **TakeABreak**

Luckily, it was going to be a quiet day it seemed as Haru observed the amount of people that were taking up space in the Neko no Mise cat café. The influx that would usually come around this time did not due to the season becoming summer and most students were attempting to study before the break.

Nodding to herself, she was about to move towards the coffee maker when she saw Akira approach her. "Apparently, you've been asked for specifically." Akira stated, gesturing behind himself with his thumb.

Poking her head around the black-haired male, Haru saw exactly what Akira was talking about. Vali had arrived inside of the café and was sitting at a table that was unoccupied, which also happened to be next to where one could hang out and interact with cats. The white-haired male's eyes were directly at her, as if he were expecting something.

"Thank you, Akira-kun." Haru nodded with a smile. Simply nodded back in return as he walk to a different part of the café. Making her way to the coffee maker, she began to create a fresh brew with a combination of beans of her choice. She felt Vali's eyes on her for the entire ordeal, but then she didn't mind.

Pouring out a cup, the female made her way over as Vali was still in the same position that she first saw him in. "Hello, Vali-kun." She greeted as she gently placed the cup in front of the male. "How was your day today?"

"Decent." Vali only answered, grabbing the cup and take a small sip. Closing his eyes, he allowed his taste buds to judge the flavoring of the liquid. "There is always a certain warmth behind your coffee and it is not because of the temperature. Whenever I drink someone else's brew or make my own, I can never achieve such flavor either."

Haru only giggled at Vali's response. "Thank you for the compliment." She replied back, watching a couple of customers walk out of the room where the cats were. But then they forgot the close the door behind them and a single cat walked out.

"Yes… you're welcome…" Vali only answered back as Haru picked the cat back up and proceeded to walk into the feline area. But as she did, Vali stood up and followed with coffee still in his hand. Closing the door behind them, he sat down and already found himself being flocked by many cats. Among them, he found himself glaring at a black cat.

"Is there something wrong?" Haru asked, walking back towards the seated Vali.

"No. Just remembering someone." Vali stated as he looked at Haru. It looked like she was going to say something but then was interrupted by a swarm of cats surrounding her legs. The girl only laughed as she bent down to her knees and began to interact with every single one of them tenderly. Vali watched the love and affection she showed for each and every single one of them.

As Haru stroked another cat, she looked over towards Vali and saw that he had a face of remembrance. He was living in a mental memory as his gaze was fixed upon her. He almost looked… content… but also sad at the same time.

"…Vali-kun…" Haru said slowly and grabbed his attention. Walking over to him slowly, she took a seat next to him. "If you don't mind me asking… what's on you're mind right now? You look a bit sad."

Vali slowly turned his head towards Haru as she just looked at him with concern despite technically being a complete stranger. "…" He chose to stay silent at first. But then as the seconds passed, he found himself just suddenly speaking. "My mother…" He started. "…You remind me of her."

Haru blinked. "In what way?" She asked.

"…She is one of the most compassionate people I know…" Vali confessed. "She's human while my father was… a part of the supernatural side." He fell silent, wondering if he should keep going or not. But then once more, he just started letting his words out without thought. "My father did many things to me no child should ever have to live through… My mom was powerless against what he would do, but still did whatever she could to protect me. She helped in so many ways as well."

"What are some examples?" Haru questioned.

"She would bandage wounds or cook simple food for me." Vali closed his eyes, thinking back. "I remember the first time she let me try coffee. I hated the bitter taste, so she easily sweetened it for me with some sugar. But as time passed, I would take a liking to the drink straight."

That explained why he liked coffee so much. But then, it made Haru wonder. "Your mother certainly sounds like a wonderful person. Where is she right now?"

"… I'm no longer a part of her life." Sipping his drink, he rested his forehead against his free hand with a sigh. "Her memories of me and my father were wiped… Whether or not it was against her will, I don't know. But I have a feeling she didn't want it… She's remarried, Haru Okumura. Happily remarried and has given birth to two children."

"Aww…" Haru cooed. "That means you're an older brother."

Vali released a breath to hide a chuckle. "Yes, that is correct… An older brother that are completely unaware of… and will never know of." He inhaled through his nostrils bitterly.

Once more, there was silence. But then Vali began to seem a bit sad once again to Haru. The female thought about what she wanted to do. Reaching up, she put her hand on his shoulder and it caused him to look in her direction. "Vali-kun… it must have not been easy for you to tell me all of this." She said quietly.

"…I'm not exactly sure if that is true myself…" Vali admitted. "The words… they just escaped my lips."

"But I want to thank you though." Haru gently smiled as she comfortingly rubbed Vali's shoulder. "You trusted me with the story of your mother… your past. I am… flattered that you told me everything. Also… I'm sorry for what you had to and are going through. But I just want you to know that I am here if you need any help at all with anything."

The male continued to look at Haru. "…You're willing to help a stranger?" He asked.

Haru chuckled at his question. "You're Vali-kun, someone who enjoys coffee. He is has a small, tragic past and cares deeply about his mother. Despite his exterior, I know that he really is someone that is concerned for the people close to him." Her smiled widened. "How are you a stranger to me?"

Vali only looked away while shrugging his shoulders.

The two didn't notice Akira behind them in the café section of the building, smiling at the two of them before turning around and getting back to work.

 **TakeABreak**

"Excuse me, but could you tell me what paintings those are?"

Yusuke turned around to see a female with light-brown hair in an odd cloak pointing towards one of his latest creations.

Looking back to the paintings, he hummed as it took him a second to comprehend what to day. If he were to be honest, he was running into a bit of an artist's block again. Unable to come up with any original ideas, he decided to draw and paint something that was already in his mind. Due to the recent events of the supernatural, it occurred in his mind to perhaps create pictures of Personas.

Unfortunately for him, he had to do almost all of his work off of the top of his head since he couldn't get Akira to summon any. Yusuke decided to start with the many Angels.

"Are you aware of how many figures are differently depicted among many stories? Yusuke asked, getting a confused look from the female. "Basically, this is how I view the Archangels. Raphael, Uriel, Gabriel, Michael. These are paintings of the many, famous beings that live in the Heavens."

The girl gasped. "So, you're telling me that these are paintings of all of the Archangels?"

Yusuke blinked. "In a sense, yes. But remember what I-"

"I'll take them all!"

Once again, Yusuke blinked. "E-excuse me?"

 **Sorry for the late update, folks. Getting this chapter out was a huge effort. Other stories distract me for writing, school is taking up most of my focus, and now DBFighterZ + MHWorld are out. Good grief, I am going to be distracted.**

 **But here it is. A new chapter.**

 **Damn it, there is so much I want to show in this fic but then it's so long since I will arrive.**

 **No flames please.**


	23. Chapter 23

**I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD. Everything belongs to their respected owners.**

Issei sighed to himself as he was drinking from a can he got at a vending machine found around the area he was at the moment.

"…Is everything okay, Issei-san?" Asia asked the brunette as she was sipping some juice from a can. There was a bit of worry all over her face as the two of them were sitting down around a fountain.

"Huh?" Issei asked, blinking through the sun and adjusting his gaze so that he could look at the blonde. Eventually registering what she had said, he nodded. "Ye-yeah, everything's fine, Asia-chan." He answered, but then Asia was a bit hesitant to accept his words. That just made him feel guilty. "Okay, not really. It's just… I never expected Kiba's past to be related to holy swords and for him to have an experience with them like that."

"Oh right… that…" Asia mumbled, awkwardly looking forward again to the people just passing by them. "It's really sad for him…"

"Yeah." The brunette rubbed his head. "Being a part of an experiment and all before eventually having to be killed by the ones running the thing sounds like something out of an anime. I thought that the Church was filled with good people, but that thought's been going down the drain a lot recently. I mean, human experimentation is something I would expect some evil person to do. It's almost as if... so many things are in reverse. Back when I was human, I thought the Church was a good place while Devils were… devils. But now that I'm one of the latter… it's just weird."

"It really is an odd thing." Asia looked down to her can but then giggled a bit. "But still, it's not as bad as I thought it would be."

Issei breathed through his nostrils with a small smile. "Yeah, guess you're right." He nodded his head, taking another sip from the can he was holding. Looking around, he then saw a small group of people that he had invited over. "Yo, Senpais, Sakura-san, over here!" He called out, waving his free hand around.

All of the Phantom Thieves, minus Morgana and Akira, all heard the brunette's voice. They all looked over in their direction. "Oh, there you are, Issei-kun and Asia-chan." Ann said as the group began to approach the Devil duo.

Issei nodded his head to confirm what Ann had said. But then as he and Asia were being approached, the brunette noticed one other person that was not actually part of their original group. "Huh? What is Ravel-san doing here?" He blinked with a bit of surprise.

"When Sakamoto-san blurted out that he was meeting up with Gremory-san's Peerage, I found it odd that he was actually heading off of school grounds rather than towards the Occult Research clubroom." Ravel informed, the male blonde wearing a look that seemed to be a bit of a mixture between embarrassment and shame. "Here you are, Pawn of Gremory-san, holding a secret conference without the presence of your King. It only makes me wonder what you all are going to talk about."

"Hey, I didn't really blurt it out." Ryuji attempted to defend himself. "It just… manage to come up in the middle of our conversation."

Ravel just gave Ryuji a look. "Either way, it seems rather suspicious to have this happen behind your King's back." She coughed.

"Well, the main reason is because Buchou said for us to not get involved with those two exorcists." Issei stated at first but then shook his head. "But I would really rather wait for everyone else to show up first before I continue explaining myself. Although… I'm not really sure if I can trust you with this."

The Phenex folded her arms. "I suppose I could give you the benefit of the doubt."

"Come on." Ryuji added. "How bad could something like this be? It's not like he's going to tell us to just go and do something that could be considered suicide."

"But since you said that, Issei-kun…" Makoto rested her chin on one of her hands. "I'm assuming that it has something to do with the two that visited Germory-san yesterday."

"Sorry, Makoto-senpai, but I'd really rather wait for the everyone else before explaining." Issei said again.

Yusuke however looked around. "Everyone else?" He asked. "If you're waiting for Akira and Morgana, they're both at the café since the staff were actually a bit short just then. However, they only need him for about an hour longer."

"What? N-no, no." Issei gave the blue-haired male a weird look. "I already know that. Ann-senpai explained that for me. We're just waiting for Koneko-chan."

Futaba tilted her head with a confused expression. "Isn't Koneko-chan sitting right there?" She asked, pointing to a table that was a couple of meters away from where Issei was standing.

With an odd expression, Issei looked over. "Gah!" He hopped in the opposite direction of where he actually did see Koneko sitting down with a parfait in front of her. "When did you get here?!" He pointed at the white-haired female.

"I arrived five minutes ago, I-cchi." Koneko stated, scooping up some ice cream while Futaba walked over and took a seat. "It's not my fault your perception is not that good." The girl continued as the orange-haired female dipped her finger into the dessert.

"Well… that's convenient. If that's the case, I guess we could start now." The male brunette slowly started off, doing his best to ignore the insult that had just delivered bluntly to him.

"What about Kiba-kun?" Makoto asked, noticing that all but the King, Queen, and Knight were missing. The first two, she understood in a sense since Issei was trying to keep this a bit of a secret. "Shouldn't he be around as well in this case?"

"…Err…" The male brunette voiced out awkwardly.

"…Is this about what happened to Kiba-kun back then?" Makoto asked with a sigh, having a feeling that she actually knew where this was going.

"Uhh…" Ann grabbed everyone's attention, holding her hand up. "Mind telling those that didn't take part of the meeting yesterday what you two were talking about just now?"

The female brunette however only massaged her forehead "I think that is actually something Kiba-kun should explain rather than us. After all, this is about his past and I would prefer it if we had his permission before talking about him." She then eyed Ann. "But you should at least know that his backstory isn't a very nice one."

"…Wow… that's freaking dark." Ryuji commented from the side.

Ravel rolled her eyes. "So, what exactly did Gremory-san's Pawn call you all here for anyways?"

 **TakeABreak**

As Issei explained things, everyone made sure to be quiet. Listening was a very important aspect of life and was a gesture that should be respected. The brunette's words continued to flow out of his mouth as he made his sentences simple enough so that it was quick.

"So, you want to cooperate with the Church and you want the Phantom Thieves to help you." Koneko basically summarized up Issei's words.

Futaba curled her lips downwards while making a face. "Hmm, kind of does make sense. From what Morgana and Makoto told us last night about what happened yesterday, it is possible they would rather destroy the swords rather than allow the Fallen Angels to use them."

"Yes, judging by their words, there is the possibility that they would stop at nothing to get the Excaliburs back in the Church's hands." Yusuke said.

"Wait, you guys are saying that the Church wants the swords back to them. But at the same time, you all are agreeing that destroying them is completely fine." Ryuji stated. "How the heck does that make any sense? Well, I kind of do get what you guys are going for and all. But…"

Ravel rolled her eyes. "What they're basically saying is that Yuuto-san is not happy unless he could exact his revenge upon the blades of Excalibur, and the Church wants to take the swords back no matter the costs. The goals may be different, but the result would end up being the same."

Ryuji grunted in acknowledgement. "You didn't have to make it sound like I'm stupid or anything."

"Which is why Issei-kun wants to try going forward with this. But then he has to do it in secret from Gremory-san since she doesn't want him involved with the Church's issues." Haru added on to the Phenex's explanation. "That does explain a bit of this cloak and dagger bravado."

"Though if that's the case, another problem is actually getting those two exorcists to cooperate with us." Ann said as well. "Yeah, I'm on board and all. But I highly doubt they would be as eager to do this as you are though, Issei-kun."

"But that shouldn't stop us from trying though!" Issei replied back before scratching the back of his head. "Look, I know this is sort of crazy. But Kiba's not only a comrade, he is also my friend. Isn't that the same for all of you? Ever since that meeting with those two chicks, he's been looking… conflicted. Like there's something on his mind. He's even had that face on for almost the entire day today. I… just want to be able to help him. Who wouldn't for their friend?"

Everyone simply looked at one another. "Well, that sounds like something I can get behind." Ryuji answered with his hands in his pockets with a small smile. "Count me in. The way you're making things sound with Kiba right now, this Excalibur business must be pretty bad."

"I believe that we all agree with what Ryuji is saying." Makoto nodded her head in acknowledgement. "Well… except for…" She began to trail off after continuing, looking over towards Ravel who was still among them.

Noticing how the pair of red eyes were on her at the moment, the girl had a bit of an awkward look on her face. "We-well…" She cleared her throat. "This is indeed an issue that should be taken up with Gremory-san," Ravel then paused. "But I do believe that I should give you all the benefit of the doubt and allow you do go forth with your actions. It is a bit worrying though."

"What is?"

Hearing a familiar voice, everyone slowly turned over in that direction. As soon as all of their eyes fell upon that one spot, each of them held faces of surprise when they each fell upon Kiba. The male blonde Devil was carrying his bag and looking at them with a surprised look of his own. "Ravel-san said something about being a bit worrying. Is there something I should be aware of?"

"…Huh…" Futaba commented. "Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Once again, extremely convenient." She then looked towards the white-haired female. "Hey, Koneko-chan, do you think that phrase actually does apply to this situation? Or would that only apply to Sirzechs-san?"

"That wording does seem appropriate at the moment." Koneko commented, eyeing her closer friend.

Kiba heard those remarks and blinked. "You guys… were talking about me?" He asked a bit cautiously, now seeming to be a bit careful of everyone that was in front of him. "…What's with those looks?" His question was still met with silence. "Everything's fine… really!"

"We didn't ask how you were feeling." Ryuji stated, folding his arms. "You just said that all on your own."

"…Kiba-kun…" Haru asked slowly, offering him a chair. "Could you please take a seat?"

The swordsman stood in place, almost in a frozen way. His eyes then slowly looked over towards Issei. A small frown soon formed on his lips. "So, you told them about what had happened to me?" Kiba asked, almost in a disapproving way.

"What? No!" Issei asked before defending himself. "It's just that you've always been helping me out with things, so I thought that it was my turn to do the same for you!"

Asia nodded her head. "Issei-san is right, Kiba-san. Not only is it us, but Koneko-san is worried also. Even Makoto-san and Morgana-san. Although… I think everyone else is too as well now that Issei-san's been discussing what he wants to try and do." She faltered for the past sentence before shaking her head. "It has not been long, but it been on your mind and affecting you greatly. Please, let us help you."

As the former-nun stared at Kiba, the Knight was now finding himself in a bit of an awkward position. Eventually, Kiba took the chair Haru had offered and sat down onto it. He took in a deep breath, trying to calm himself as everyone else seemed to move back a bit to give him some air.

"…We were all orphans," Kiba's words were almost a whisper at first, making them all lean in slightly in order to hear him. "We had no homes to call our own. So when the Church offered us a warm place to eat and sleep, we thought it was too good to be true. At the time, we did not know just how barbed that offer was."

The blonde Knight was hunched over, his hands holding each other tightly. The fists shook in anger and agony just in memory of his backstory.

"It was a gradual thing at first. They had no reason to hurry, after all." Kiba's face rose a bit to show that his normally welcome face was lined with disgust. "They took us one by one and told us that we were being adopted. Of course we were happy for them and those that had been chosen promised they would send us letters once they were settled in their new happy homes." The sarcasm in that last quarter of the sentence was obvious. His eyes were sharp he looked at the listeners. "We did not receive any letters for a very long time."

Each and every one of them didn't know where to look. Some kept their gazes staring at him while others couldn't face him. But they all knew that words alone wouldn't be enough to express their sympathy.

"That was what led us to realize something was wrong. After we asked for countless times for any signs of our friends, the Church finally gave in. They gave us letters. Letters that they forged. Letters that were too complicated to be written by any of us." Kiba smiled in any way but good. "In retrospect, it was an easily preventable mistake for them to commit. Most of us were children, but we were not stupid. They underestimated us, but that wasn't a surprise. They never did consider us to be people, or even human. We were just guinea pigs for them to test and experiment on."

A period of silence passed with breathing and people moving by without giving them a second glance.

"They must have found out we knew something was wrong, or perhaps whoever was in charge of the project deemed it had run its course. We were in bed when they first released the gas, and half of us didn't even get the chance to run." The boy grit his teeth as Haru placed a consoling hand on his shoulder. "Those were the painless deaths. The ones who got it easy. They were lucky in that regard. It must have been almost soothing to fall asleep and never wake. The Church made sure that none of us would be able to see the outside world as they would just continue to put us down.

Kiba looked up around at their settings.

"I think I managed to be closest to the exit since so many of the Church members were on me in seconds. But just as their hands were on me, everyone else tore those limbs off of me. They begged me to never look back and just to keep running, crying in agony for me to live. So that's what I did. I ran. I kept on running, never looking back. But I died. Then I came back to live."

The Devil closed his eyes and a pained smile took over his face.

"That's not the worse part though. The worst part was knowing that all those people, all my friends, died for nothing. I learned later that the entire project was so that the Church could create wielders of the Excaliburs. It had failed. Didn't produce a single thing. It would be easier if they did. If they even managed to create a single artificial wielder, it would be easier for me to accept their deaths. At least then, it would have meant something. Their sacrifices would have had a purpose, even if it was as small as creating holy sword users for an institution full of them. But they failed instead, and now I'm haunted with the knowledge that the people I know and loved died for absolutely nothing."

He opened his eyes to see his audience now looking back at him in the expected silence that he had constantly broken himself for the past few minutes. Issei, Koneko, and Asia all gave him sad looks. So did most of the Phantom Thieves. "Let me guess." Kiba stared, eyeing the other teenagers from Tokyo. "You're all going to say that I shouldn't keep on hating and just let it go."

"Hell no." Ryuji and Ann said in perfect sync.

"Of course not." Yusuke added.

"Not really." Makoto answered.

"Nah." Futaba drawled out.

"Why would we say that?" Haru asked.

Not a single Devil expected the answer as, once more, surprise took over their faces. "…Explain?" Ravel asked since Kiba didn't.

"Yeah, people constantly say that hatred is bad. But that doesn't exactly mean that it's the worst thing." Ryuji stated.

"It might just be me, but each of us held at least onto a bit of hatred and disgust in order to awaken our Personas at first." Ann threw in.

"It was one of the feelings inside that helped drive us forward to do what we did." Yusuke said.

"They say that hatred is foolish." Makoto replied. "But what's wrong with that?"

Futaba licked her lips after licked some of Koneko's parfait off of her fingers. "We didn't let go of that feeling, but we didn't allow it to just change our choices."

"It's okay to be angry." Haru followed up. "Because in a way… it's a superpower… a strength one can have. Anger can make you faster, cleverer, and stronger. Looking back and feeling that fire inside you… it's okay. Because if you're a good person, and strong, hatred does not have to be bad."

Kiba just sat in thought, registering each and every word that they all had spoken of. He just stared for a while, but then eventually shook his head. "You all sound a lot wiser than you all should for your ages." He let out a huff of amusement. "Guess that's what happens when you kill a god." Eyeing Issei, he rolled his neck. "So, what exactly were you guys going on about?"

 **TakeABreak**

Most of Rias' Peerage, Ravel, and most of the Phantom Thieves couldn't exactly believe their eyes.

At first it was only Asia, Issei, Koneko, and Kiba. It was agreed for their plan to find the exorcists next. Splitting up was a bit of a logical idea since they would be able to cover more ground to search for them around the town. It only took the Devils less than half-an-hour, but then they contacted everyone to come where they were staring at the females that held their meeting with Rias.

"O'blessings on the wandering sheep before us." Xenovia chanted, her eyes hidden under her bangs and hood yet still had her hands raised.

"We are pitiful compared to you, O'Lord." Irina continued, holding out a small bowl. The two would have sounded better if they seemed genuine rather than it almost seeming like they were reading their words. "Have mercy upon us…"

"So… these are the two exorcists that we have been discussing about?" Yusuke asked, his arms folded while attempting to make himself comfortable while standing. "I actually recognize them."

Ryuji was the first to react as he furrowed his eyebrows and gave Yusuke a weird look. "Wait, what?"

"Remember how I arrived back home with a rather large sum of money?" The blue-haired male asked before gesturing to the pair that were still on the streets. "That was them paying a rather enormous sum for each and every Archangel drawing I had painted."

"…Geez, a bit of an over-the-top reaction if I say so myself." Ryuji commented, looking back to the exorcists. "You'd think that the Church would at least give them some cash to keep them fed and stuff." He then was silent for about for a second. "Wait, doesn't that mean they're begging in the middle of the streets right now because of you?!"

"In my defense," Yusuke brushed a bit of his hair back. "The orange-haired female paid me and ran off eagerly before I could correct her."

"…And you didn't go after her because?" Ryuji had to ask, training off and waiting for Yusuke's reason.

"It was late, and I was hungry."

"…You've got to be joking." The male blonde deadpanned.

 **TakeABreak**

Akira was not sure if he should put any thought into the scene that was happening before him.

"Mmm… so delicious, don't you agree?!"

"Oh, yes!"

"This is Heaven!"

"…Here's your hamburger steak." Akira announced, setting the dish down onto the table. Just watched Xenovia and Irina still devour the food as if their lives depended on it, the black-haired male couldn't help but just look over at his friends and acquaintances who all gave him mixed reactions. In return, he had his lips curled down but kept his eyes neutral before walking off.

As the exorcists still ate, Futaba couldn't help but whistle. "Wow." She commented. "I've only seen this amount eaten when Koneko tried out the Catastrophic Curry Challenge." She then looked up in this with her pursed lips. "Wait, why didn't we just do that? I think it would have actually been cheaper if we did that twice rather than pay for all of this even if they didn't finish."

"…I'm honestly shocked that anyone could eat this amount." Ravel added, looking at bit disturbed at all of the dirty dishes spread out all around the table.

"I guess they were really hungry." Asia said.

"You'd be surprised how much Akira-kun can eat." Haru mused towards Ravel with a small smile. "He managed to complete all of the levels of the Big Bang Burger Challenge and even went back a few times to do it for fun."

"Isn't there a time limit for that as well?" Ann asked. "Watching these two eat is intense but having to do it within a number of minutes is just mind-blowing."

A couple more minutes passed before Xenovia slowly put down her plate. "…What just happened?" She asked herself slowly, as if realizing what she had been doing for the past few minutes. "Even if this will build our faith, the Devils saving us must be the end of days."

"We've practically sold ourselves to the Devils!" Irina said in a rather dramatic way, putting her hands together in a prayer. "How will we ever be forgiven?"

Makoto just stared at them blankly and blinked. "…I'm not a Devil." She pointed out before gesturing to her friends from Tokyo. "Nor are they. That does not sound like some very nice thanks either for being the one to buy you all of this food." She ended with a bit of a stern frown.

Irina seemed to not hear Makoto though. While Xenovia was chugging a glass of water, the other exorcists began to pray. "Lord, please have mercy on these kind souls even if they are Devils and Devil-worshippers."

"Oi, seriously?" Ryuji questioned with a raised eyebrow. He then noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Looking over, he was a taken aback a bit. "Oh shit, you guys okay?" He asked as all of the Devils as they were clutching their heads under agony.

"You try being a Devil while someone is praying to God for you!" Ravel hissed out, gritting her teeth under what seemed to be a bit of intense pain.

"Oh, right!" Irina quickly apologized. "I'm sorry. It's kind of a habit."

Slamming her glass softly on the table, Xenovia managed to gain all of the attention as she glared under her hood. Immediately, the atmosphere around them was serious and just a bit tense. "Well, what's the deal?" She asked. "What did you want to talk to us about?" The look in her eyes demanded the truth immediately.

"We want to help you destroy Excalbiur." Issei answered for everyone.

"…What?" The bleu-haired female asked.

Makoto looked over towards Issei for a second. "What Issei-kun is trying to say is that due to your rather tough conditions as only a two-person party, we are offering a hand to aid you. However, in return, we are allowed to destroy at least one of the seven swords due to… circumstances." She briefly eyed Kiba.

Xenovia saw this and also looked at the male-blonde Devil. "I see…" She closed her eyes and began to think. It was quiet for a moment before opening them. "I understand your intentions. I wouldn't mind letting you all take care of one sword."

Irina didn't exactly seem pleased with her partner's decision. "Wait a minute, Xenovia!"

However, Xenovia looked towards the girl evenly. "You know who the other side has." She explained herself. "Kokabiel is dangerous. Honestly, it will be impossible for us to recover all three swords on our own."

"Yeah, I get that." Irina agreed just by a bit. "But they're, like, Devils."

"If that is the case," Kiba spoke up briskly. "Then we will just destroy all of them with or without your help."

"…No, we accept your offer." Xenovia stated, still looking at Irina. "There is a thirty-percent chance of returning home if we work alone."

"Yeah, but we knew what kind of risks we were taking when we first got here." Irina reasoned back. "This isn't anything new, Xenovia!"

"If that's the case," Makoto interfered with their small conversation. "Then what if they were to stay to the sides and allow us to aid you?" She gestured with her head around her. "A majority of us are human after all."

Xenovia stared. "You said that you were part of an organization that was neutral, mainly concerned for humanity, correct?" She asked getting a nod from the female brunette. "No, there is no need for the Devils to stay to the side. The larger our group, the larger our success rate." Her tone made it sound like that was what they were going with, and she was not going to take no for an answer.

Irina opened her mouth, wanting to say something. But then she decided to stay quiet, looking away with a defeated sigh.

Ryuji meanwhile looked over towards Ravel. "So… you really sure you still want in for this?"

The Phenex fiddled with her hair. "It's as that exorcist said, your success rate increases as the group does as well." She responded. "I am still hesitant to take part, but I trust that you all can handle this situation fine. I'll just be there to make things better if I can."

"Awesome!" Futaba cheered, almost wrapping her arm around Ravel if the blonde didn't dodge and lean closer to Ryuji with a disturbed look directed towards the glasses-wearing female.

"Anyways," Xenovia got everyone back on track. "What is the next step you have planned out?"

"Actually," Makoto replied. "I'm not the leader of our group."

Xenovia blinked. "Oh? You made it seem like you were." She responded. "So where is this leader of yours then? We need to complete our mission as soon as possible."

"He's right behind you two." Makoto answered immediately.

Alarmed, Irina and Xenovia snapped their heads around and saw Akira sitting in the booth right behind them. The black-haired male was just staring back at them while holding a small cup of soda and his arm resting on the top of his seat. Morgana was also staring at them, his head poking out of Akira's bag as usual.

"How's it hanging?" Akira greeted with a nod of his head while raising his glass before taking a sip without looking away.

"…How long has he…?" Irina trailed off.

"About a few seconds after you both finished eating." Makoto supplied.

 **Sorry that this took a while. I just finished my finals for the second term. And where I go… we don't get a reading break so it's straight into the third semester immediately! So yeah, my attention was taken up a lot these past couple of weeks. And now… it still may be completely filled up but at least it's not that crazy.**

 **So yeah, they are going to get back the Excaliburs next chapter. Oh boy, how am I going to botch this part?**

 **No flames please.**


	24. Chapter 24

**This is a fanfic. BUY THE FUCKING MERCHANDISE!**

After that brief moment of surprise from the exorcists, which Akira found himself amused by, the black-haired male got down straight to business. The plan was simple; find Kokabiel, his ally Valper Galilei (who apparently was supposed to be an exiled priest due to illegal experiments), apprehend the both of them, grab the Excaliburs and be done with everything. With everything clarified, Akira and the other Phantom Thieves excused themselves so they could go home and prepare for their mission.

Their intended destination was a cathedral. Its roof jutted with gothic spires, their exteriors adorned with ornamented windows. At their tallest point was a bronze hued dome, a statue of the cross etched onto its metallic surface. Encircled by the drab shapes of apartment blocks and shopping malls, its surroundings made the building stand out even more than its already grandiose architecture suggested. The road that led to its arched entrance was well-kept, and the trees that lined the meandering path could technically be considered pleasing to the eye.

"…Hmm…" Yusuke hummed to himself, admiring their surroundings in the dark due to the night being the type of sky to overshadow them. "Although we are here for a different purpose, this reminds me of the time Akira and I went to the church in Kanda."

"Really?" Haru asked, adjusting the hat on her head since she was in her Phantom Thief clothing just like everyone else at the moment. "That sounds rather strange for you, Yusuke-kun. Akira-kun as well." She commented, looking between the two males.

Akira shrugged his shoulders, eyeing the gang behind him as they continued to march onwards to the meeting place. "Yusuke wanted to gather some inspiration around there, to try to get a better understanding of something. That visit proved to be rather fruitful if I do say so myself." The comment of the boy was soon forgotten by everyone as they arrived outside of the building's boundaries.

Akira peeked around and saw a few figures all standing around in dark robes. Fully opening the door, their presences were noticed. "There you guys are." Issei said as the Phantom Thieves walked into the building, Futaba being the one to close the door behind them.

"You all certainly took your time if I have to say so myself." Ravel threw in her own opinion, folding her arms. She tried to adjust her hair before throwing a hood over her head to conceal her identity. "Did something happen that it caused you all to be behind schedule?" There was also a bit of soft foot tapping from the female blonde.

Ryuji looked around to see that all of the humans that were in Tokyo last year were also eyeing one another. "Not really." He stated while putting his hands into his pockets while raising an eyebrow. "We pretty much tried to find the supplies we could as fast as we could. You guys didn't exactly give us a time limit either."

The Phenex sighed at Ryuji's reasoning and nodded her head. "Yes, you're right. I'm… sorry for venting out like that." She apologized. "It's just that… I'm a little bit tense at the moment."

"That is perfectly understandable." Xenovia said from the side, carrying a small pile of robes in her hands and walking over to the Phantom Thieves. "You are inside of Church territory after all with the possibility to have to face holy sword users as well as one of the leader of the Fallen Angels and Grigori." She then turned her attention towards the Phantom Thieves. "Here, these are for you. Just put them over your…" The blue-haired female looked up and down to fully process their clothing. "…Outfits."

Irina came up from behind, carrying a small pile of her own. "They're exorcists robes that can help disguise yourselves." She explained. "Since we're going into enemy territory, it should be the logical choice, right? Though, I didn't think you guys would already have your own disguises." A bit of an impressed look was worn on her face. "They look really good. Did you guys make them yourselves?"

Accepting one of the many pieces of clothing, Akira had the corners of his lips curled down but his eyes rather neutral at the same time. "Technically, we have." He eventually answered after a moment of thought when all of the Phantom Thieves were given the robes.

Xenovia, meanwhile, stared at all of the other humans as they began putting on the clothing they were given over top of their current outfits. She furrowed her brow in thought. "What kind of an organization are you for it to be required to wear something like that?" The tone of her questioned requested an immediate answer as she eyed the masks that each of them wore. "The Church has never been aware of people like you before."

"Well, maybe you should just broaden your horizons a bit more." Makoto stated, fiddling with a button before grabbing the hood that was attached to the robe and pulled it over her head. "Plus, it makes a lot of sense that the Church doesn't really care about us." Grabbing her mask, she stashed it into one of the pockets on her robe.

"I've got to say though," Futaba stared off while trying to stuff her bulky goggles into one of the inner pockets the new clothing provided. "I did not expect this kind of structure to be in this city." She shrugged her shoulder right after though, looking at the building they were planning on entering. "Not like sightseeing was really a part of our to-do list when arriving here anyways."

"It looks like it was built years ago…" Asia said slowly, trailing off as she took in the sight a bit longer.

"That's because it was." Irina confirmed for the former-nun. "It's still maintained these days, but hardly any people use it as it was meant to be used. Now, it serves more as a park rather than a place of worship."

There was something close to reproach in her tone, everyone could tell. Asia was slightly hesitant at first, but then she patted Irina on the back gently. The exorcists jumped a bit and snapped her head over to see that blonde giving her a nervous look of reassurance. Irina only gave back a sheepish look of thanks.

"…Are you sure that you all are fine with this?" Kiba asked quietly, yet he managed to grab all of the attention. "This is just for me and me alone after all."

Issei tapped the male blonde Devil's shoulder with his knuckles as if he were knocking on a door. "Dude, it's not sweat at all." The teenager replied to his fellow Peerage member. "We're friends, aren't we? Yeah, I know that kind of sounds typical and stuff. But hey, it's kind of the truth. As well as you were the one to actually show me the ropes when I first became a Devil in the first place. Simply put, we're all worried for you, man."

All but the two exorcists and Phenex nodded in a bit of agreement with Issei's small speech. "I don't mean to be the one to destroy the mood…" Ravel then broke the one second of silence. "But shouldn't we begin looking for the Excaliburs about now? The night isn't going to remain like this forever."

"No sweat." Ann waved her hand in an assuring motion. "Oracle's already got everything under control."

That just left Xenovia and Irina confused as all of the Phantom Thieves began to squat or sit down. Did she just use some kind of alias or codename? The duo were slightly baffled by their relaxed moment when even the Devils joined in. "What are you all doing?" Irina questioned in disbelief. "We're supposed to be searching for the Excaliburs, not just sitting around!"

"We are looking for the Excaliburs." Akira stated, pulling out his gun and looking it over to make sure that it was in prime condition. "Well… technically Oracle is looking for them at the moment." He gestured to the hacker who had her back facing the two from the Church but was moving around a lot in her spot. "Once she finds out where they are and how many Fallen there are possibly guarding them, we quickly come up with a plan and go in."

That just caused the blue-haired exorcist to frown. "How does-"

"Success!" Futaba exclaimed from her spot. Immediately, most of the Phantom Thieves and Devils began to crowd around the ginger-haired teenager due to her sudden cheer. "Found them!"

"…What?" Xenovia asked, after having her jaw hang open for a couple of seconds. ""H-how in the world… Does she have a Sacred Gear or something?"

Yusuke turned to see the female pointing directly at Futaba. "…You could say that." He simply replied back before turning to look at the green holograms that Futaba was producing. "Oracle here has an ability to… help us navigate around many structures we must traverse through."

"… I'm confused, is her name Futaba-san or Oracle-san then?" Irina asked, raising her hand up as if she were in a classroom and wanted the teacher's attention.

"Meh, you could say one or the other. As long as you don't say Oracle in public it's fine." Ryuji shrugged his shoulders, not even looking back towards the exorcist. "They just codenames we came up with." He then pointed at a general x-ray of the building with a shiny ball sitting somewhere inside. "Okay… so that's probably the Excaliburs right there… Aren't there supposed to be three instead of one? Oh well, maybe they're just in that one place." But something else caught his eye. "Are those red dots supposed to be enemies, like the Fallen Angels or something?"

"You should already know the answer to that." Futaba answered. "We've been through these kinds of things a multiple of times."

Ryuji still blinked. "Well… shit."

"Well… to be fair, we didn't know how many there was when there was only one red dot before." Ann pointed out. "Here, let's just assume that each dot is only one."

"If that's the case, then that's still a good amount lingering around." The male blonde pointed out.

"…Then things are going to be a lot harder than I thought." Issei stated, twisting his lip in a bit of displeasure when he saw what could possibly be too many Fallen Angels for them to take on at the same time.

"Things are already difficult enough as they are now, I-cchi." Koneko remarked.

"Getting inside will be the easy part maybe." Akira commented, putting his hand to his chin. "Our disguises may help out with that. But actually navigating around the building is going to be the difficult part then since it may be suspicious for a group as large as ourselves to be seen wandering about."

"What if we split up?" Asia asked.

"I don't think that's really a good idea." Ravel answered with a frown scratching the top of her head. "If there are that many Fallen Angels around, then we need to stay together in order to support each other properly…"

"…Actually, Ravel-san," Akira noted, leaning over Futaba's shoulder to get a better look at the image she was producing. "I think splitting up might be a good idea."

The Phenex however gave Akira a bad look. "…Are you just planning on getting us killed in there?"

"No, no, no, this is going to be good." Ryuji interrupted. "Just listen."

 **TakeABreak**

All of the Devils and both exorcists slowly walked forward, all of them feeling a bit nervous as they approached the building.

As they proceeded through the winding trail that led to the cathedral's entrance, they passed under an archway before hesitating in front of the wooden doors. "…So, are we all ready?" Xenovia asked, looking back and saw everyone nod their heads in confirmation. Putting her hand on the doors, she pushed them open and they all entered.

They could see holes in the floor where once pews had been bolted to the ground. The immense columns of granite that had long ago lost their veneer. The lines of mildew ran down the walls and draped from wooden balconies. The staircases that led said balconies, missing steps from rot and decay. As soon as they stepped into the antechamber, their eyes were drawn to the immense doors that laid at the back.

"Well, well, well… What do we have here?!"

Hearing a voice, all of them looked up to see a figure fall down from the ceiling. There was a gleam of light provided from the moon that reflected off of something shiny. All of them dodged out of the way in separate directions. Kiba however created a single sword and blocked an incoming blade. Pushing off of Kiba right after, the figure landed on the balcony. Getting back up to their feet, Issei was the first one to recognize who it was.

"Freed." The brunette snarled, balling his fist up.

"Oh, hi." The psychotic exorcist greeted with a wave of his hand. "If it isn't the disgusting Devil and his friends. You know, I was looking forward to hunting down the two exorcists that actually came to this town. But here they are with all of you! You know, I actually should be thanking you." He then laughed. "Nah, just kidding! The thought almost makes me vomit!"

"Well… no point in keeping these on." Issei commented as he threw the robes off as did the other Devils.

"Five at once?" Freed questioned. "I feel flattered. Who knew I was so popular amongst you filth! Although, it is rather insulting. Ah, Asia-chan, how are you doing?" The former-nun did not answer, choosing to hide behind Issei's back instead. "You really need to be more assertive." He then clicked his tongue. "But then again, you always were an annoying little shit."

"Shut up, you bastard!" Freed gritted his teeth.

Freed rolled his eyes. "It's always shut up. Always. And I've heard that insult too many times. Why can't you think up of anything better or interesting for a change?" The man scratched his chin. "Actually, where are your other friends? Those Devil-worshippers? I really need a chance to screw the blonde one after what she did to me!"

Ravel showed a face of disgust. "I get the feeling that he is a stray exorcist. But he's a lot more foul mouthed than what I would have normally pictured one to be. I at least thought they would still be normal."

"They can be." Koneko commented. "He's just disgusting and obnoxious."

"Oi, isn't it rude to talk about people behind their back?" Freed asked, but then began to pick his ear. "Then again, I haven't exactly been showing any good manners myself." He grinned. "I have yet to introduce my most esteemed companion. Valper Galilei, ladies and gentlemen."

There was a sharp intake of breath from Kiba as a new figure began to approach from behind Freed. They revealed themselves to be an old man with a pencil-thin mustache and dull grey hair. He was dressed in priest clothing, the robes barely fitting over his fat form.

"He makes swords." Freed commented offhandedly. "Very good swords."

The man raised his sword, giving everyone a good look since they didn't get one before. The blade gleamed with yellow light, half its length embedded into the stone floor. There was something that they all felt from it, holy energy.

"He… fused them…" Ravel said quietly, stepping back as a bit of fear shivered in her body. "The Excaliburs have been fused…"

"Yes, quiet the obvious observation." Valper dismissively said. "I just did what should have been done long ago. It took a painstakingly delicate process to piece them back together, but it was rather successful in the end. After nearly an entire lifetime, I have finally achieved my goal and dream." He then sighed in nostalgia. "Although I wouldn't have gotten anywhere if it weren't for me being the head of the Holy Sword project."

Kiba's eyes widened, then narrowed. The grip on his sword became dangerously tight. Issei saw the Devil's arms shake in anger. "Dude… keep it together." Issei sang out cautiously while keeping an eye on Freed and Valper.

"So, there was more to stealing the Excaliburs rather than a simple way for Kokabiel's attempt to starting a war." Xenovia narrowed her eyes. "But that only creates more questions. What are you planning to do with the reforged one? You know that the Excaliburs are meant to rest in pieces!"

Vapler smiled. "Do you really think that I so foolish as to explain what my plan would be?" He asked while shaking his head. "To think the Church sent two incompetent exorcists to try and retrieve their swords… Also for them to choose to ally themselves with Devils… I almost feel insulted. Not only that… did you actually not consider the idea that if Kokabiel were a part of this, that he would be alone?"

Looking around them, the room suddenly seemed darker than before. As they eyes trailed upwards, they saw that there were Fallen Angles along the walls and ceilings. Rows of black feathers and bodies filled their visions, blocking the boundaries of the room. That darkness soon filled up with light as each of them began to hold weapons made of the element in their hands.

Quickly pressing their backs against one another, the Devils and two exorcists just held their ground. "When did they show up?!" Issei exclaimed, his head darting back and forth all over the place.

"I know that we've technically seen how many there were supposed to be…" Ravel commented, warily eyeing their surroundings. "But it is rather…" She swallowed. "Surprising to say the least."

Freed snickered. "Oh boy, it's like an all-you-can-kill murderfest here." He then squatted on the railing while resting the golden blade on his shoulder. "I got first dibs though!" The man licked his lips.

Valper leaned against the railing meanwhile. "Now, before we depart, do you have any final words? I'll be sure to enjoy them."

They all looked to each other. At first, their looks were nervous. But then that changed. The expressions began to show smirks which only made Valper and Freed frown and suspect that something was up. It was then weird symbols began to form on the floor beneath them. As soon as they were spotted, a green down formed around the Devils and exorcists.

Issei then brought his hands up and gave their audience two middle fingers with a manic grin. "Ka-boom, baby!"

Immediately, the walls next to the entrance and windows exploded and began to collapse. Rubble flew everywhere as the Fallen Angels on the floor were pelted from the back. Those that were around the ceiling meanwhile all scrambled to try to find a safe spot while dodging massive chunks of falling debris. Those are the safer parts of the walls flew forward to try and kill their enemies. Ultimately, they failed as they discovered that the green dome was a barrier as their weapons bounced off.

The sound of gunfire immediately filled the air. As the dust from the falling chaos began to rise, bullets shot right through the air and pierce many more Fallen that were still standing. They all fell down, screaming in pain and agony since their legs were shot.

While that all happened, Xenovia and Irina were absolutely shocked at the display. Yes, they were well aware of the plan. They go in and distract the Fallen and whoever else was inside while the other humans would rig explosives along the walls. Before detonation though, they would be covered in an extremely strong barrier. But the two exorcists did not expect the scheme go play out so smoothly or effectively judging by the look of the scene before them.

The Devils meanwhile seemed to be preparing themselves as if nothing were going on, like they were already used to these kinds of scenarios all playing out. Issei even pulled a gun out of his pants, spreading out several cards in his hands and putting them into firearm magazine and even the handle. Kiba slowly slid two blade edges against one another, taking on a stance to get ready. Koneko cracked her knuckles. Asia even raised up three cards with odd images of a multiple people standing next to arrows pointing up with certain pictures in the background; a sword (Matarukaja), a shield (Marakukaja), and a single boot (Masukukaja).

Xenovia tapped the green dome curiously, and not even a sound came from the point of impact no matter how much force she put into the gesture. She just watched the Phantom Thieves work with such efficient. She had to admit, she was impressed.

[ _Are we ready to rumble?!_ ] Futaba's voice suddenly rang through their heads like she was an announcer, the exorcists once again being surprised and or shocked.

"One second!" Asia replied for them all. With a small grunt and look of concentration, she began to channel magic into the cards. With a sudden swipe of her hand right after, several red, purple, and green spheres shot out of the cards and went into each and every single one of them. Not seeing the startled expressions of the duo from the Church, Asia looked over. "We're good now!"

[ _And away we go!_ ] Futaba yelled as she lowered the barrier. [ _Remember your roles and to not lose sight of it! Commence operation… uh… Fallen fiasco!_ ]

"Really?!" Ryuji's voice was heard yelling above the gunfire. "That's what you seriously go with?! That sounds kind of lame!"

[ _You come up with a better name then!_ ] The hacker defended herself.

"Both of you stop it right now!" Ravel stopped the argument before it could spiral out of control. "Are you both actually going to have this discussion?! Focus on the task at hand!"

"Alright, let's go!" Issei exclaimed, snapping Xenovia and Irina out of their stupors.

"R-right!" Xenovia nodded her head. "Come on, Irina!"

"Got it!"

Hearing that reply, both of the exorcists and Kiba all leapt up towards the balcony where Valper was. But the man had long fled since the explosions first started. Freed however took on their charges however as he had hopped of the balcony to stop them. But then a grenade came from the side and blasted the stray exorcist out of the way. The three looked over to see Haru aiming a grenade launched in their direction. The three of them nodded in thanks before landing on the balcony and beginning to chase Valper once more.

Freed growled and groaned at the same time, pushing a pile of rubble right off of him. Growling, he looked straight at Haru. "You bitch!" He roared, getting up to his feet. With a sudden burst of speed, he dashed towards the female in a blur.

But just as Freed slashed upwards, threatening to decapitate the girl, he was blocked by Ryuji's sudden weapon. With a swinging movement, Ryuji managed to push Freed away. As the stray exorcist growled, he suddenly disappeared out of thin air.

"What the hell?!" Ryuji exclaimed, suddenly stepping back out of surprise. "He can turn freaking invisible?! What kind of shit is that?!"

[ _Behind you guys!_ ] Futaba suddenly exclaimed.

As Freed suddenly appeared, he was right where Futaba had announced. But Yusuke was there right after, blocking the surprise attack. Being pushed back by Freed, Yusuke's back was pressed right against Ryuji's. "Go! We will take care of this!" The blue-haired male exclaimed, gesturing for everyone else to continue their fights in incapacitating everyone that was against them.

"You know, we're hardly doing anything stealthily lately." Ryuji commented, glancing over his shoulder out of the corner of his eye to get a look at Freed. "Kind of ruins the whole Phantom Thief thing, doesn't it?"

"Hmph." Yusuke let out amused air from his nostrils. "Sometimes things don't go as planned, or one must approach the situation in a different manner. It can be applied to anything."

Freed suddenly disappeared then reappeared right between the two of them. With his hands planted on the ground, the man first caused the two teenagers to stumble forward before kicking the back of their heads. Just as they suddenly had turned around to try and attack, the stray exorcist was suddenly gone. Getting back to back once again swiftly, they kept their eyes open.

But while this happened, several dark-green orbs flew all over the place. The odd thing was however was that they all only targeted the Fallen Angels and Freed. But there was a common source though. That source was Morgana standing right on top of Zorro's hat while taking potshots with his slingshot.

As both of their heads craned around, they attempted to ignore the chaos around them. If they were lucky, Freed would choose to focus on them rather than let the two of them off so easily. [ _In front of Skull!_ ] Futaba's sudden warning came to them as Ryuji's eyes immediately snapped to attention. Even Yusuke looked behind his back.

Running towards the blonde was Freed, as they were aware of thanks to their hacker. But just before the man reached the teenager, he suddenly disappeared. [ _No wait, now Fox!_ ] Looking forward, the blue-haired swordsman partially drew his blade. Freed suddenly appeared as he attempted to stab Yusuke, but the teen managed to block the tip of the blade with his own metal weapon.

As Freed pushed off and tried to slash the stomach next, Yusuke ducked down but kept his weapon partially drawn to block the swing. At the same time, Ryuji spun around and bashed the side of Freed's head. Hearing a shout of pain, Freed disappeared. Futaba's voice announced Freed's movements right after.

Raising his weapon horizontally, Ryuji used both of his hands to support the item just in time as he managed to stop an overhead slash from the stray exorcist. Yusuke had the blade put back in its sheath and immediately jabbed the sword-cover right into Freed's stomach while Ryuji's kicked a knee with his heel.

Freed growled in annoyance. But then a certain pattern began to form for the man. He would constantly go back and forth, only focusing on Yusuke and Ryuji. But the duo's synergy proved to be extremely annoying to fight against, always having his attack blocked with the possibility to be countered after. He kept at it though, hoping he would eventually catch them off guard. But no matter the amount of effort, Ryuji and Yusuke worked together extremely well.

Yusuke eventually slashed upward with a lot of strength. The result was knocked the Excalibur up, but Freed still kept his grip on it. Ryuji followed up however by spinning around the bringing his arm upwards, using his weapon to smashed the bottom of Freed's fists. The golden sword them spun into the air and away from the three of them. But before Freen could even run, he was grabbed by two hands.

Looking over, the last thing he saw were some kind of pirate and kabuki-looking figure before being slammed to the ground then blacking out.

Meanwhile, Akira ducked down and avoided a spear made of light thrown towards his head. Pointing his pistol in that general direction, he pulled the trigger and released a single shot from his firearm. What was unfortunate form him at that moment was that his attention was split so he didn't see a Fallen Angle attempt to attacking him from a blind spot.

What was fortunate for Akira though was that he was not alone as Makoto had nailed a fist right against the face of the attacker. "Ride, Johanna!" She then exclaimed, positioning herself as her Persona appeared right beneath her. While swerving on the spot, Akira had jumped up at the same time and landed on the free space that was behind the one that was given the codename Queen.

Blue energy roared out of the exhaust pipes the bike had, creating blue wave of explosions that blasted away everyone around them. Just was the swerve ended, Akira leapt forward with the momentum. Summoning Arsene, he flipped around with his Persona as each of them landed a foot right against a Fallen's face.

Haru provided covering fire, having Milady constantly shoot from the gatling gun that was inside of her dress. Since the space around the ground was covered, the Fallen tried to come at her from the air. But Haru managed to blast them with her grenade launcher or use her axe whenever they got too close for comfort.

Lashing her whip out, Ann had the weapon wrap right around Issei's arm. "Hold on, Issei!" Ann exclaimed, pulling with all of her might. Swinging the brunette around like a mace, the boy landed a solid blow right against a few enemies that he passed by. But Ann then swung upwards and then down to the ground. "Asia-chan, freeze his legs!" Ann called out to the former-nun.

"Umm, o-okay!" The blonde replied, bringing out single card with a single snowflake (Bufu). With a wave of her hand, ice shot out right towards its intended destination. As the beam of cold energy hit the feet of Issei when he landed on the ground, such limbs were coated in ice.

"Uhh, Ann-senpai," Issei stared off, seeming confused and a bit nervous. "What are you doing?"

"Skull, toss Issei your weapon!" Ann exclaimed.

Ryuji looked over to Ann as if she were crazy, but still complied. "You got it!" He then threw his weapon over towards Issei.

Just as the brunette caught the weapon out of relex, Ann looked over to Akira. "Joker, wrap my whip around Issei's body and then pull as hard as you can! Mona, chip the ice so it creates a cone!""

Looking over, Akira eyed Ann's hand before looking over to the brunette. Morgana did the same. Eyeing the ice right after, both male figures grinned as they got a good idea of what Panther had in mind. As Arsene grabbed the whip and began to fly around Issei, Morgana rushed over and began to carve away at the transparent rock.

"Err… Ann-senpai, you still haven't answered my question." The Devil reminded them, the uneasiness beginning to grow inside him.

But his words went unheard as Arsene had just finished wrapping the entire whip around Issei while Morgana has managed to made a rather crude looking shape that Ann had wanted. "Okay, Joker, spin him!" Ann announced.

"Wait, what?!"

Issei just managed to ask that question as Akira's Persona suddenly pulled as hard as it could. Yanking Issei off of the ground, the Persona swing around and smashed Issei's body against an unfortunate figure. Spinning around, the whip unravelled itself meanwhile and caused the brunette's body to spin like a top.

Soon enough, Issei became a spinning blur. Like a toy top, Issei kept on rotating at high speeds while holding out the baton Ryuji had thrown towards him. It was as if the boy had become a sudden force that couldn't be stopped as the brunette-Devil bashed his way through the opposing forces. But then he eventually, the ice portion broke beneath his feet. Suddenly tripping, Issei started flipping through the air while flailing his arms.

"Thanks, Issei!" Ryuji held his arm out and grabbed his weapon back as the brunette flew by him.

The Devil however did not have a nice fall. Landing on his face, the force behind his launch was still keeping him on the move. Skidding on his face, Issei felt his body run right through a single Fallen Angel before coming to a complete stop. Groaning, the brunette slowly pushed himself off of the ground while hissing in pain while trying to nurse his poor face.

But then he felt someone grab his ankle. Eyes widened with surprise before snapping his head over behind him. Seeing who it was, Issei immediately began to panic when Koneko was the one in his sights. "Oh no – Koneko-chan – wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait!"

His request was ignored when Koneko immediately threw Issei through a crown of Fallen Angels.

Ravel blasted the center of a small group of dark-winged enemies with a suddenly explosion of fire. Flying through the combat, she saw one of the Fallen she had sent airborne holding a spear of light and aiming for her. A pirate ship suddenly came flying in from the side and rammed the Fallen out of the way. Feeling a hand grab her wrist, Ravel was yanked onto Captain Kidd's ship with Ryuji who was already on board.

Flying through the air, the blonde duo saw a few pursuers surrounding them. A couple flew close, but Ryuji slammed their heads with his weapon. The pirate Persona meanwhile pointed its cannon-hand around, bolts of lightning shooting out of the metal tube. Ravel and the ship meanwhile peppered the others with fire and cannonballs.

Haru slightly entered the fray, making sure to be careful with her axe swings. The weapon was still heavy to her, but it was not as bad since she had become used to the weight. Slamming the backside of the weapon against a few heads, the Fallen that were struck held their heads as they seemed to be dizzy all of a sudden. Firing a single grenade into the air right after right in the middle of a group that was in the air, she rolled out of the way while Milady aimed and shot the explosive.

Just as Haru got to her feet, she saw a single Fallen Angel in front of her face. Quickly raising her axe up to defend herself, she had managed to block the fist that was about to meet her body. As the Fallen snapped their hand back to groan in a bit of pain, Issei suddenly came sliding in from behind.

"Sorry, Haru-senpai, mind if I borrow this?" Issei asked, his feet knocking the handle of the axe off of the floor and into the air before he caught it in the hand with the Boosted Gear.

"As long as you're careful." Haru warned caringly as Milady walked over to her side. With a gesture of its fan, the Persona waved the item towards the brunette and a red-orange, a purple, and green light all washed over Issei.

"Thanks!" The Devil nodded with a huge grin, slamming the blunt side of the massive weapon right against the Fallen who was trying to nurse their sore hand and starting to run into the fray once more.

Seeing a few more Fallen soar towards him, Issei spun around while swinging. Knocking a Fallen Angel away (whom collided with Ryuji and knocked him off of Captain Kidd's ship), the brunette planted his feet against the ground. Dashing forward while spinning in the other direction, he knocked two more Fallen away. He then suddenly threw the axe into the air before rolling on the ground.

As soon as he was in an upright position, he drew his revolver and fanned the hammer. Despite Issei pulling the trigger six times, all of the Fallen in his sights were struck three times per shot (Triple Down).

Fortunately for him, that was every Fallen that was left standing. There was not much luck on the boy's side though when a final Fallen Angel tried to ambush him from behind. That turned around though as the Haru's axe was still in the air and it landed right on top of the head of the only conscious enemy and knocked them out.

"…Is it just me, or does Gremory-san's Peerage seem much more coordinated and better than I remember?" Yusuke asked.

"The fact that we didn't really need those disguises is more on my mind at the moment, actually." Akira replied back.

 **TakeABreak**

Valper let out a yelp of pain as he was thrown through the air and skidded along the ground. The dirt had suddenly kicked up like fireworks under his weight. The man was then dragged along the ground forcibly in the direction of a ton of Fallen Angels and Freed frozen inside of massive ice cubes.

"Ah, there you three are." Akira got up while brushing dirt off of his jacket. "And I was thinking that you guys failed to catch him and allow him to escape." He then turned over to Ryuji. "I guess I owe you 500 yen."

Just as Valper was thrown into the center of the small crowd, Ann had Asia freeze the man in a block of ice like the others. "As much as… it makes me hesitant to say… but…" Xenovia started off at first, but then she slowly trailed off.

Irina understood what her partner was attempting. "What she's trying to say is… umm…"

Apparently, everyone around them understood what they were trying to say and nodded their heads. "No problem." Issei waved his hands before scratching his head. "Well, I think we should be thanking you guys at the same time."

Despite Kiba nodding his head, he still stared at Valper. "I have to ask." He suddenly spoke up, gaining all of the attention. "What are you going to do to him?" He gestured to the frozen man inside of the cube.

"We are going to take him back to the Church." Xenovia answered. "It will then be assured that he will be forced to live out his punishment for the rest of his days."

Kiba however frowned. "That's it?" He asked. "Just something like that?" His questioned were full of a sour tone as he did not look very pleased. "Only to serve a menial punishment?"

Xenovia narrowed her eyes. "And you have something appropriate in mind?" She asked.

"Yes, Kiba, do you? And while you're at it, explain why all of you are here in the first place."

All of the Devils, except Ravel, all froze at the voice that came from behind them. As they all turned around, Rias, Akeno, and even Sona were all standing in place. Judging by the looks on their faces, Rias and Akeno seemed to be a bit patient while Sona demanded answers.

"…Alright…" Akira slowly nodded his head. "…But you can't get mad at us." He then eyed Rias. "Gremory-san and Himejima-san I can understand. But why is Sitri-san here as well?"

Rias raised an eyebrow. "I feel like she's the only one who really has any amount of control over you out of the two of us."

 **Erledigt! Endlich! Hol mich hier raus! AAAUUUUGGGGHHHH! SCHRAUBE DIESE ÜBERSETZUNG! ES IST SCHRECKLICH! ES IST SCHRECKLICH! WARUM HABE ICH AUCH BEACHTET, IN DIESEN RANDOM CRAP ZU SEIN? WER LÄSST DIESEN SCHISS AUCH LESEN? ICH WIE, WIE DIESES AUSGEGEBEN WURDE! Es wird keine Veränderung geben! SCHADE! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

 **Ich denke, ich bin mit schlechten Übersetzern verrückt geworden.**

 **No flames please.**


	25. Chapter 25

**This is a fanfic. BUY THE FUCKING MERCHANDISE!**

Sona did not look the slightest bit impressed when she was standing right in front of Akira.

While Rias was busy dealing with her own Peerage and the two exorcists that were around, the Student Council President was to deal with Akira privately. The rest of the Phantom Thieves, rather admirably in her opinion, wanted to accompany their leader so that the supposed scolding he would get would be lessened.

Unfortunately for them, Sona put her foot down on the decision of speaking to Akira privately. The black-haired male at least reassured them that it wasn't like he was going to die or anything. That respect for calming his team down dropped a bit when the boy joked about how he was probably going to at least lose hearing in one of his ears for a few minutes after she was done with him.

"So… let me get this straight to see if I'm missing anything here." Sona decided to start to recap after hearing Akira's tale. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes to think of what to say next. "Issei-san approached you all and asked for your help in aiding Kiba-san. You then proceeded to help Rias' Peerage, with the help of Ravel Phenex, convince the exorcists to have a couple of the Excaliburs destroyed. Then one thing led to another, and now one of the infamous members of the Church is inside a solid block of ice."

"Give or take a massive surprise attack." Akira supplied, shrugging his shoulders in the process.

"…" She sighed, resting her chin in her hand. "How did you manage to have Ravel-san tangled in this mess?" She asked.

Akira looked over to the side, watching the Phenex seeming to intently listen to something Ryuji seemed like he was attempting to explain. But after a couple of seconds, the male blonde pointed over towards Makoto with a defeated sigh. "Actually, Ravel-san followed Ryuji to where Issei told us to meet him. So, she actually joined in on her own free will really."

Sona however chose to not answer Akira's remark. Instead, she decided to go straight to the point she wanted to make. "Do you at least have any sort of idea what kind of danger you were putting yourselves, Rias' Peerage, and Ravel-san into?"

Akira noted the look on Sona's face and decided to not let his smart mouth get the best of him. "Yes, we are well aware of the many consequences." He folded his arms with his lips falling down a bit. "It may not look like it, but we do a lot to be careful so that we all can get back home safely."

Violet eyes did not shy away from grey ones. Staying silent, Sona looked up and down to observe Akira's physical appearance. Her gaze then looked over towards the other Phantom Thieves. "It doesn't seem like any of you are hurt."

"A few bruises and cuts can be seen, but nothing a simple Dia spell won't fix." Akira answered back.

Sona only nodded her head in return, still starting at the area where Rias was with everyone else.

"…I'm sorry." Akira's voice made the girl turn her head so he was in her vision. "You do worry and care for all of us, and I caused you to feel like that. So again… I'm sorry."

Tilting her skull to gaze curiously and calculative at him, Sona was silent for a few seconds.

The quiet moment between the two of them was broken when Ryuji jogged up towards them. His footsteps tapped on the ground to indicate his arrival. "Hey, I'm not disturbing you guys at the moment, am I?" He asked.

"…Not at all." Sona answered, keeping her gaze lingering on Akira for a couple more seconds before looking back towards Ryuji.

"Something wrong?" Akira asked the blonde.

"Yeah, and it isn't something good." Ryuji shook his head with his mouth turned downwards in a troubled expression behind his mask. "Kiba wants the Valper guy dead since he was the ring leader of the Holy Sword Project. To avenge his friends and all."

"…" Akira did not say a word, looking over to the mentioned Knight piece. He then started to walk over. Ryuji and Sona both trailed after him. No one else spoke a word when they arrived, but it looked like there was tension between the two exorcists and Kiba. "So, what is this I hear about Kiba wanting to kill Valper?" The black-haired male asked.

"You already know my story." Kiba stated, keeping his eyes narrowed towards the frozen fat-man. "You know what he did to me and everyone else. He deserves to die, and I deserve to be the one to kill him."

"Your vengeance is understandable." Akira nodded his head. "I will admit, the story makes me agree that he should die." He walked up right next to Kiba and turned his head. "But that is not the way to go." His grey eyes looked over towards the members of the Church. "Tell me, Xenovia-san and Irina-san, what punishments will Valper have to face when you all get back to the Church?"

"It's… not for us to say." Xenovia admitted, after looking at Irina. "Our leaders are the ones who decide the punishments. Although I do hear rumors that those being judged would prefer death than to fully finish their sentences."

"But still…" Kiba gritted his teeth, stepping forward. "I have to avenge my friends… They were my family. Won't you at least let me have that?"

Akira didn't answer. Staying silent, he thought about what the decision should be.

"Erm… I know it's not my place to say, but… I think you should let them take Valper back to the Church."

Ann's voice brought everyone's attention towards her. Now conscious that everyone was looking in her direction, she stepped back once. "We-well, what I'm trying to say is that…" She scratched her head while releasing an irritated sigh. "Me and my big mouth…"

Morgana looked up. "Are you referring to Kamoshida, Lady Ann?"

"Yeah." The third-year blonde nodded her head in response. "Kiba-kun… don't you at least want this guy to answer for his crimes? For what he did to your friends?"

"Well… yes, I do." Kiba nodded his head slowly.

"Then why argue with them?" Ann asked. "As Xenovia-san and Irina-san confirmed, he's going to be severely punished for what he has done." She then paused for a second. "It's kind of twisted in a way… but it's going to be like he will have to live through the pain you experienced for the rest of his life. He'll beg to die… but they won't let him."

Most of the Phantom Thieves looked down, grimacing at the description Ann gave. Even she did not like her own words. "Really effed up when you get down to it." Ryuji mumbled.

"Very repulsive." Yusuke agreed.

"You can rest easy in the fact that this way, you've avenged all of your friends." Ann attempted to add on. "That's… that's what you had in mind, right? So… look on the bright side. Silver lining, you know?"

Kiba looked back to the frozen block, his face clearly showing that he was thinking about Ann's words. Yes, they didn't seem like much. But she still had a bit of a point depending on the person's thought process. Sighing, he nodded his head. "I suppose you are right." He said quietly.

Ann nodded her head. Hearing someone approach her, the blonde looked over to see Rias coming over. "Ann, I'd like to thank you for comforting Kiba-kun." The red-head said with a thankful smile on her face.

"Oh, it was no trouble at all. Really." Ann chuckled sheepishly while waving her hands.

An amused exhale escaped Rias' mouth as she looked over to her Knight walking towards where her Peerage was. As all of her other pieces were comforting Kiba, she folded her arms and watched from a distance. "You stepped up when I actually should have. I at least should have been able to take charge of the situation, yet he still did not listen to me at first."

"Hey, no need to beat yourself up or anything." Ann poked her elbow against Rias' side gently. "You don't always succeed every time. That's why you just have to keep trying. No matter what happens, just trying to keep looking forward."

Irina and Xenovia then approached them from the front. As soon as they were about a meter away, they stood their ground. But there was no sense of hostility from them. "Gremory, we thank your Peerage for their aid. If it weren't for them, surely we would never have succeeded." Xenovia stated, nodding her head.

"We thank Akira and his companions as well for their help." Irina added. "It was an absolute amazing sight seeing how you all initiated the fight." She put a finger to her chin. "Although, I do have to ask. What kind of Sacred Gear was Futaba using? I don't think I've ever seen anything like it before. It's awesome how it can scan buildings and create barriers though."

Ah, right, the Church was still unaware of their Personas. "Err… can you guys keep us a secret actually?" Ann asked. "It's just that we prefer not to be under a giant spotlight."

The two exorcists both looked at each other. Xenovia had her eyes slightly narrowed in thought while Irina's were a bit wide in confusion. Makoto, from the side, thought that it was probably now a good time to change the subject. "So… considering that you two are going to take Freed and Valper back to the Church, how exactly are you going to carry two massive blocks of ice back to Europe? Plus, what are we supposed to do with all of these Fallen Angels?"

As that conversation began to move on, Akira looked around to see everyone interacting with one another. But he frowned a bit due to this. There was this nagging feeling inside of him that he couldn't shake. Like a sixth sense that turned on and off whenever he was about to be pelted on the head by a piece of chalk.

It was as if they were being watched at the moment.

Sona seemed to notice Akira's silence and looked over towards him. "What is it?" She asked curiously.

Slowly, Akira began to look up.

He saw something in the air. It was tiny at first. But then as the seconds passed, the size of the mass began to get bigger. Eventually, Akira could make out that the strange object began to look like a person.

…A person with five pairs of feathery black wings. Several bits of light also were seen around their hands.

"Incoming!" Akira exclaimed when he saw that the person was careening down towards them.

Sona looked up and only for a second saw what Akira was looking at. Her vision was suddenly shifted to his chest when the boy pulled her in protectively while leaping and rolling away from their positioning.

Everyone else immediately looked around to see what Akira was talking about. When they looked up, all of them managed to have quick enough reactions. Ryuji dove out of the way while holding onto Ravel. Ann and Rias ducked out of the way. Yusuke and Kiba swiftly moved away from the spots. Makoto, Xenovia, and Irina dodged the objects coming towards the ground. Everyone else managed to be unharmed but were blown away due to the impact of the falling mysterious object.

Spear of light rained down onto them. A barrage of the weapons attempted to hail upon their very beings. They all left small craters upon impact. But they were only concentrated in the areas where they once stood. As the weapons fell, many pierced through the ice blocks that held the Fallen.

The blocks where Freed and Valper were in however… flew right through their bodies.

When everyone got back onto their feet, they all rushed towards one another. Akira was the first to pull his gun out and aim. That immediately made everyone else draw their weapons after as they grouped up.

Everyone looked up to see a single figure streak down from the sky. Their impact created a hole knee-deep into the cement. Slowly, he rose. Standing to his full height, every slight motion was heavy with veiled threat. Half of his torso was bared. Pale, sickly skin stretched across a muscular chest, the color so white it was almost transparent. Blood-red eyes stared out from a fiendish face. Five pairs of feathery wings rose and extended from his back, black like a crow's.

"Oh dear, it seems that I have missed." The Fallen Angel said out loud before releasing a small sigh. But clearly, it was almost mocking. "Ah well, just gives me some more time to play with you all."

Haru adjusted the trajectory of her grenade launcher. "Who is that?" She asked quietly, warily noting the destruction that was caused by the person most likely across from them.

"…Kokabiel." Sona hissed out.

"Ah, the Sitri and Gremory heiress' are both here." Kokabiel observed, folding his fingers together. "Originally, I was only here because of news that the building where I'm keeping Excaliburs I stole was being raided. At first, I really did think it was the Church sending in some great powers to take them back. But what do I find here? Two exorcists, the little sisters of the Great Satans with their Peerages, a Phenex far from her home, and a delusional group of humans playing heroes."

"Wow, he even sounds like an evil prick." Ryuji commented.

Ravel glared at him but still made sure that her magic was at the ready. "Now's not the time for such comments." She hissed.

"She's right, you know." Kokabiel flashed a smile, sharp teeth shown as if he were going to devour them all. "I advise that you save your breath to keep yourselves alive. It will be very difficult to breathe with a hole in your lung."

"…Holy shit… this guy's going to be strong." Futaba whispered from behind the ground, several green screens in front of her displaying all sorts of information. "He's unlike any of the people we've faced since we got out Personas back."

"…" Akira turned his head by a fraction. "Gremory-san and Sitri-san, you both-"

"Do not talk unless you want to die!"

Kokabiel's yell was immediately followed by two underhanded throwing motions with both his hands. The first movement generated a wave of light that flew towards them. The second attack created the same object, this time at a faster speed. But when the second attack caught up with the first, the light immediately expanded into a massive wave careening towards them.

Rias beat Akira to calling out orders. "Scatter!" She yelled out and they all dived out of the way in different directions.

The very pressure of the incoming attack helped them disperse, the winds blowing them all over the place. Yusuke was the first to recover, charging straight towards Kokabiel. Jumping into the air, the blue-haired male slashed downwards to cut the Fallen Angel. The Fallen proved to be too swift however as he dodged the slash. As Yusuke landed, Xenovia appeared right where her opponent was and tried to slash the Fallen with Durandal.

Kokabiel avoided the attack as well. When Irina came from behind, Kokabiel flew up into the air and out of their blades' range. In the air, the dark-winged person watched as Yusuke, Xenovia, and Irina all jumped up towards him, their blades ready to slash him. Just before they could swing, the man swiftly flew off to the side to reveal that Issei, Koneko, and Kiba were attempting the same thing they were.

As the six of them crashed into one another while falling down to the ground, Akira soared right up to Kokabiel. Spinning in the air, he and Arsene attacked at the same time. Kokabiel however grabbed the Persona's fist and Akira's blade. Pushing off Kokabiel with his foot, Akira flipped in the air and away from the man.

Just as the Fallen tried to charge at Akira, a cannonball flew in and interrupted the flight path. Growling, Kokabiel quickly flew right towards Ryuji who was riding on Captain Kidd's ship. When the Fallen tried to stab the Persona, Captain Kidd's clawed hand grabbed the spear. Ryuji meanwhile shot Kokabiel's leg but it only seemed to greatly irk the Fallen Angel.

Flipping forward, Kokabiel struck Ryuji's head with the heel of his footwear and sent the blonde down straight to the ground. Floating downwards but still moving around at a nice pace, he saw Makoto riding on Johanna with Morgana on to of her shoulder. The cat pulled back his slingshot and tried to fire as many shots as he could.

Kokabeil only avoid each ball-bearing or took them like they were poking him very hard. But then he blinked when he saw that one of them looked much more larger and rectangular than the others. As soon as he realized what was in front of his face, Makoto shot the Megido Bomb and it exploded.

Through the massive ball of fire the explosion left behind, the two Persona users rode right through the flames. But when they were out, Kokabiel flew in from right behind them. Kicking Morgana off of Makoto's shoulder, Kokabiel tried to stab Makoto with a light spear.

With fast reflexes, Makoto sharply direction Johanna away from the Fallen so he would miss his spear. But then she watched Kokabeil throw the spear in her direction. The weapons impact upon the concrete caused the Persona to flip over and Makoto disengaged by jumping off and rolling on the hard surface.

Groaning, Makoto shoot her head. Looking up, she saw the Fallen standing right above her, his hand extended and generating light.

A bolt of lighting, a massive shard of ice, and four explosions suddenly struck Kokabiel's back. The impacts were strong enough to send him stumbling away from Makoto. Eyeing his back, his he growled when he saw that one of his wings looked badly damaged. Turning around, he nearly did a double take. "…Seriously?" He asked himself before immediately getting ready.

Necronomicon was flying upside down with precise controls and fast speed. With the bottom upright in the air, a few people were surrounding the surface. Akeno, Ravel, Rias, and Sona all were flying and had their spells ready. Haru and Ann was right on top of Necronomicon's bottom, guns still smoking from its recent shot. Milady meanwhile was pointing its massive rocket launcher and gatling gun towards the Fallen. Carmen was there also, trying to fry Kokabiel with a pillar of flames.

Preparing a massive attack, Necronomicon suddenly increased its speed. Quickly flying up, it flipped over and left its passengers airborne. Futaba then controlled the flying saucer to crash right into Kokabiel. Flipping around, Futaba backed up while Milady fired another rocket. The Devils meanwhile all threw their spells. The Fallen was ready for the attack this time, putting his guard up while several spears of light in a row like a wall to try and defend himself.

When the explosion occurred, Necronomicon flew back so Haru and Milady landed safely on its bottom. That moment was short lived though when Kokabiel went flying towards them. Firing their projectiles once again, the Fallen dodged all of them and flew right behind them. With once long spear created from light suddenly in his hands, Kokabiel started spinning it around as Ann, Akeno, Haru, Milady, Ravel, Rias, and Sona tried to attack him.

All of their projectiles were constantly being deflected in all directions, causing all those that were getting ready to get back into the fight once again to run around and panic in order to not get hit.

It was raining absolute chaos. Issei and Asia were blown into the air while everyone else was running. All of the sword and blade wielders kept on knocking projectiles away, but left themselves open to the splash damage that could hurt them. Every time there was an explosion, there was a cry of surprise followed by a body flying upwards every passing second as they were ants compared to the barrage their teammates were unintendedly attacking them with.

"Guys, can you stop it already?!" Ryuji exclaimed, almost stupefied at how none of them were becoming severely hurt. "I think you're causing more harm to us than him at the moment!"

[ _Alright! Alright!_ ] Futaba yelled back. [ _This isn't working anyways. We'll have to regroup again!_ ]

Necronomicon then pulled away like the other Devils did. Getting back together with everyone, Futaba jumped out of her Persona. Kokabiel seemed to be amused by their actions though as he floated down onto the ground. "Fascinating. All of you humans playing heroes really do have some interesting abilities." He observed.

"We can give you an even better demonstration if you like." Akira stated, pointing his pistol right at the Fallen Angel.

The man eyed Akira's gun however. "And your weapons hold all kinds of energies from Devils, Angels, and other supernatural factions." His eyes gleamed dangerously. "Good, this is turning out a lot better than I thought. You humans are putting up a better fight than the Devils and the group of miserable girls who don't even know they lost their master."

"You lie!" Xenovia exclaimed. "My master saw Irina and I off back in Europe! There is also no way you could kill her!"

"Whoever said I was referring to that kind of master?"

Kokabiel's question seemed to draw a bit of confusion. "What?" Irina questioned.

"Mind clarifying for us?" Makoto asked, narrowing her eyes.

The Fallen Angel only chuckled. "Whoops, I guess it just slipped out."

"Why don't you just shut up and answer their questions already?!" Ann shouted out, pointing her gun right at the man.

It started as a chuckle. Snickering soon occurred. All of that humor then led to massive laughter as if Kokabiel had been told the funniest joke ever. "Have any of you felt betrayed recently? Every time you pray despite how faithful you are, your prayers are never answered?" He saw Asia visibly react. "Oh, so there is one of you. Although she's a Devil now. How unfortunate. Especially since God could have done something about it if he were still alive."

The last sentence seemed to immediately bring silence to them all. Dreadful, disturbed silence. Kokabiel grinned at them. "What did you just say?" Sona asked with wide eyes.

"Did you not hear me properly?" Kokabiel asked. "Well then, let me speak loudly." He then took a deep breath. "In the previous Great War, God died! He hasn't been there for none of you before any of your generation was even born!"

The two exorcists faltered, their muscles barely holding them up. The Devils and humans, too shocked just like the members of the Church to even move. "No… no… that's impossible…" Xenovia said quietly. "God's… dead?"

"…How…" Ravel whispered. "How is that possible?"

"Bullshit!" Ryuji roared towards the Fallen Angel. "How the hell can God actually die?! Wasn't he around ever since he started the universe and lived up to this point?!"

"…Something must have had to affect God greatly then." Akira managed to hypothesize despite his disarrayed mind. "Just like how we managed to kill Yaldabaoth before…"

"You're lying!" Rias called out. "I've never heard anything about that!"

"Back then the Devils lost all their kings and most of their high-level Devils. The Angels and Fallen Angels lost almost everyone except their leaders." Kokabiel explained while holding his arms out as if he were a grand performer. "Pure Angels could not increase their numbers and pure-bred Devils are just as rare if I recall correctly."

"That's not true." Asia squeaked out desperately. "It can't be! God doesn't exist anymore? There where is the love that has been coming to us from?"

Kokabiel huffed in amusement. "Michael has been holding his own so far. He's the one keeping the Angels and humans together in God's stead."

"The Archangel Michael has been acting as God's agent?" Xenovia asked breathlessly, still extremely shaken as she was using Durandal to support her. "Then… that means… all our prayers…"

"I've stated that already." The Fallen shrugged his shoulders. "As long as the system works, prayer and exorcisms will endure to a certain degree. I'm sure someone has been listening. Well, I do suppose knowing the number of believers in God has drastically dropped probably doesn't help anything, does it?" He then grinned. "I'll help drop that number out if it means starting another glorious war!"

"Shut the fuck up already!"

Issei's roar seemed to suddenly snap everyone out of their shocked states and looked over towards the male-brunette with surprise. "What kind of sick mind do you even have?!"

"Oh, you poor Devil." Kokabiel mocked while shaking his head. "The feeling. The adrenaline. Satisfaction. Why else would I need such reasons? Do you not understand? I at least expect the owner of the Boosted Gear to understand that."

"No!" Issei exclaimed. "And I don't want to!"

Running recklessly towards Kokabiel, Issei felt himself be punched in the face and sent skidding back towards the others. Getting back up, Issei charged forward again, this time to be kicked to his original position.

"Your efforts are futile, especially against me alone." Kokabiel remarked. "You are nothing but an infant compared to me."

"Issei-kun! That's enough!" Rias assured the brunette as Asia started healing him. "You're already exhausted from your raid for the Excaliburs!"

Issei didn't say anything, his body staying very still. But then the sound of metal tapped against one another, his Sacred Gear balling up into a fist.

"No, Issei! Stay down!" Kiba exclaimed. "Twilight Healing can't bring back your stamina!"

"Are you serious?" Issei asked, gritting his teeth in great effort. Putting his free hand to the ground, he shakily got back to his feet with most of his remaining strength. "Friends… and family on the line… How the hell can you ask me to sit on the sidelines?"

"Yes, because you are already beaten to the point where you can barely stand!" Ann scolded as Issei fell back down right after. "Just let us handle this!"

"I… might be beaten so hard… and so tired…" Issei gasped on all fours. Grinding his teeth, Issei forced himself up. His muscles screamed for him to just give up already, but he absolutely refused. "But I still got to do what I got to do, that's all." He then pointed right at Kokabeil. "And I've got to beat that smug look off of that son of a bitch's face!"

Once more, surprised silence took over. Only for a second.

 _ **"Hmph, Not Bad."**_

It started in Issei's arms. A burning sensation dwelled inside. Issei grunted at first, then hiss, and finally it became to much more him. The burning began crawling and stabbing the insides of his arms.

 _ **"At First You Were Nothing More Than a Pathetic Whelp."**_

The pain was almost unbearable. It was like something was making his blood boil specifically in his arms. No, maybe like lava? Issei couldn't think straight due to the agony he was in. In frustration, the brunette punched the concrete beneath him over and over again.

 _ **"How You Have Grown in a Short Amount of Time Is Impressive."**_

The punching didn't do anything. His free hand was bleeding, blood flowing out of fresh wounds like a waterfall. Screaming once more, he started thrashing around like a child with a temper tantrum.

 _ **"But It Is Not Enough. More Power Is Needed to Crush Your Enemies."**_

"Wait… is he…" Ryuji couldn't even finish due to being nearly speechless as what was happening.

 _ **"Let Me Help You with That by Forming a Blood Pact."**_

"I think he is." Akira stepped backwards, knowing about the massive pillar that came when ripping off a mask and didn't want to be near it.

"But how?!" Yusuke asked. "In no way has Issei been inside of the Metaverse before!"

 _ **"I Am Thou, Thou Art I..."**_

"Wait… being exposed to the supernatural and the energy was what possibly gave us the ability to summon our Personas in the real world." Morgana thought out loud. "Maybe him being exposed to us and our energies is what is causing this!"

"No offense, but that sounds kind of stupid!" Ryuji retorted.

"Will you guys shut up already?!" Ann threw in.

 _ **"Rise… and Show Them the Power of the Red Dragon Emperor!"**_

With the pain snapping him back and forth, Issei jumped right up to his feet. His throat felt dry after so much screaming. But he felt like there was still one last thing for him to do. His Boosted Gear started glowing brightly. The brunette could feel the power inside constantly multiplying and it amplified the pain.

Slapping his hands together while holding on tightly, one second passed before both of Issei's arms exploded and left two bloody stumps in its wake. Everyone could see the bone and some almost threw up at the very side. Blood gushed out like a fountain.

But the blood soon began to turn into a red energy of sorts. A strange looking glyph formed right underneath the brunette as the bloody substance fell onto the symbol. Almost upon immediately contact, Issei was engulfed in a pillar of red, demonic-like energy.

Everyone backed away and shielded their eyes when winds kicked up and debris flew everywhere due to the pillar. Kokabiel meanwhile was not smiling at all, having no clue about what was happening and was not pleased in the slightest about that.

The pillar of red soon began to be sucked into something. After a couple of seconds, all of the power was seen being stored into what looked like a bullet. The odd thing about it was that the primer was connected to some sort of cigarette-like tube that went into Issei's mouth as if he were smoking.

As red miasma floated up from the tip of the bullet, Issei quickly snapped his jaw shut and caused the bullet to fly and flip in the air. After the bullet spun several times around, it landed perfectly into a rotating double-barreled revolver. After several cycles, his hand snapped shut.

But the revolver design was nothing like anyone had seen before. The very design reminded everyone of a dragon. The two barrels both had upper and lower jaw designs, looking like there were two dragon mouths altogether. Near the magazine, which had bumps that looked likes claws to indicate where each bullet would be stored, were the iron sights that looked like a dragon's head with eyes leering dangerously.

When Issei whipped his equipped arm outwards, everyone saw that he was holding a second double-barreled revolver looking just like the first. Not only that, but his appearance was completely different than it was before a few seconds ago.

He wore a tight black undershirt with the top half covered by a red, sleeveless jacket along with black jeans. With a pair of black fingerless gauntlets, a part of brown cowboy boots with semi-large spokes at the heels, and red poncho around his shoulders, he finished off with a Stetson hat with several bullets lining around the accessory. What really made him stand out though were the multitude of ammunition belts wrapped around his body, including a lone one on his right bicep, all filled up with sticks of dynamite.

Not only that, but both of Issei's arms changed. Rather than Boosted Gear being on his right arm, his Sacred Gear was seen on both of his arms.

It was then they all also noticed that Issei was standing right underneath a shadow.

Looking up, they saw it. A large, red Western dragon. Its neck was long with green eyes. Spikes pointed around throughout its body as well, the colors being red and gold. Scales even harder than steel, shining under the moonlight. Snorting, the monster exhaled smoke. All it did was look like it was ready to dominate anything that stood in its way.

Issei blinked, wondering why he was posing like he was all of a sudden. Looking down, he took a step back. "Whoa!" He exclaimed, patting himself down. "What happened to me?!" Hearing a snarl, the brunette look behind him and blinked. Breathing, it then began to hit him. "No way. Don't tell me… I have a Persona as well?!"

"It seems to be the case." Haru nodded her head.

"So…" Issei looked down at himself once again. "This is what it feels like to be a Phantom Thief… or actually just a Persona user in general…" He looked up, and he was grinning from ear to ear. The mouth shape almost made him look manic. "It's freaking awesome!" He then looked over to Akira. "How about that, Akira-senpai?! Maybe I can be a Phantom Thief just like all of you!"

"Really?" Akira raised an eyebrow in the brunette's direction. But then he began to smirk. "Well then, consider this fight an audition." He then looked back to his fellow thieves. "What do you guys think!?"

Everyone seemed to be in the opposite moods as they were moments ago as all of the Phantom Thieves roared loudly in agreement.

"Come on, Buchou! Even you guys as well, Xenovia-san and Irina-san!" Issei motioned with his revolvers. "Let's show this bastard what we can do!"

Jumping into the air, all of the sticks of dynamite on Issei's person suddenly lit up. But while airborne, the dragon behind them leaned forward with an open mouth, snapped its jaws shut and swallowed the brunette in one gulp.

One second later, the dragon spat the new Persona user out. Issei was now surrounded by dragon fire as he was careening towards Kokabeil like a fireball. Not only that, but there was something new in Issei's hands. Rather than his two revolvers, there war a rocket launcher instead.

Kokabiel snapped out of his stupor when he saw the incoming Devil. Creating a massive, thick spear of light, he swung and hit Issei before the brunette could reach his body. Just before impact though, Issei twisted his hand when holding the handle of his explosive firearm and the sounds of a motor roared. The weapon seemed to glow red-hot as he pulled the trigger.

The rocket and Issei both came into contact with the spear. A gigantic explosion occurred between Devil and Fallen Angel. Issei flew backward but flipped around then landed on his feet before tracing the brim of his hit with his index finger and thumb. His skin looked a bit singed while there were black marks along his exposed skin, but he was still grinning like a maniac.

Kokabiel meanwhile did not fare as well as Issei did. He was burned badly. His clothes were in tatters. His wings singed while embers still laid on the feathers. Red eyes glared in great hatred. "Don't think you've won just because of some cheap familiar!" He roared, spreading his arms out and created several light spears to float around him.

Everyone else opposing Kokabiel in return all got back into stances. All of them were back in the fighting mood all thanks to Issei's attitude. The brunette meanwhile reached backwards inside the poncho and withdrew his two double-barreled revolvers. He then held the guns so that they were sideways while crossing his arms.

"Want to help me kick this guy's ass, Ddraig?!"

 **Wow… so this chapter was all over the place. A bit of an interesting beginning. Dumb reasoning and reveal of Kokabiel. But I think the last part was awesome.**

 **Yes, I gave Issei a Persona. It was one of the greatest issues for me of whether or not to give SELECTED members of the DxDverse Personas. I decided to go with yes in the end of it all.**

 **I'm sure all of you will have reasons as for why Issei, or a Devil in general, can't have a Persona. Yes, there can be explanations. I still want this decision to work though so please don't drop this just because of how much of a bad idea you think this is. But one of the most frequent ones I've seen all over the internet is that only humans can have Personas.**

 **To that I respond …what about Koromaru?**

 **So yeah, here we go. Apologies for the delay as well. I was on vacation so I couldn't write anything properly without using Microsoft Word on my phone and I did not want to type while staring at letter less than 1cm tall. Not only that, BBTAG is fun despite it missing so much damn content.**

 **Okay, final note before signing out… DMC5 IS COMING! AWESOME TRALIER! THE SONG IS AWESOME AND ALREADY DOWNLOADED ONTO MY PHONE! CAPCOM ACTUALLY WANTS MONEY AGAIN!**

 **No flames please.**


	26. Chapter 26

**This is a fanfic. BUY THE FUCKING MERCHANDISE!**

It all had happened so fast.

The reveal of God (of the Bible) being dead since the Great War.

Issei gaining a Persona.

But the Phantom Thieves were used to that kind of pace. Whenever one of them had unlocked their potential to summon a Persona, they were able to get into a fight immediately. Just the feeling alone one got when they gained the power of a Persona made them feel unstoppable. It's almost as if what happened before didn't matter at all. All that they cared about now was the present.

The brunette with a new Persona was the one to ignite that flame that burned within all of them.

With the many spears of light Kokabiel had created, he had the creations hurled right towards the group that opposed him and his goal.

"Fire at will!" Akira called out, pulling out his special pistol.

Everyone else got their own firearms ready while Issei had already pointed and was shooting with Akira. Soon, bullets filled the air and were directed to the light weapons that headed for them. With their sudden heavy barrage, Kokabiel was blinded by the flashes the two projectiles colliding with one another.

Everyone knew what they were supposed to do next. But Sona decided to speak aloud to confirm it. "Now's our chance! Attack!" She exclaimed. Not only her, but Rias, Akeno, and Ravel all had their wings flap open before they took to the skies.

Akira only smirked at Sona's words. "You heard her, guys! Let's get moving!" He motioned with his equipped arm with enthusiasm. With loud cheers from the Phantom Thieves, the entire group, the rest of the Devils, even Irina and Xenovia, began charging right towards the enemy.

Kokabiel blinked repeatedly, shaking his head to rid himself of temporary blindness. Watching the opposition simply run right towards him, the Fallen Angel attempted to obliterate the ones that he saw on the ground. But before he could even raise his hands to attack, he raised the limbs instead to shield his eyes when energy, fire, ice, and lightning all came falling and knocking up debris while striking him.

With his vision obscured once again, Akira took the opportunity. Using both of his arms to gesture to the left and right at the same time a couple of times. Turning around to run backwards, he pointed at Morgana with his left hand and Futaba with his right. Watching the male signal which way he wanted them to go, the cat leapt forward into Akira's grasp while Futaba took to the skies in Necronomicon.

When that happened, Ryuji and Yusuke went to the left. Meanwhile, Ann, Makoto, and Haru went to the right. [ _Kiba, Asia-chan and Koneko-chan, you three go to the right! The rest of you, to the left!_ ] Futaba ordered from inside of her Persona, already getting ready to support whoever needed help.

As everyone parted ways to follow the other Phantom Thieves, Issei noticed that he was the only only not given any orders. "Wait, what about me?" He asked in confusion, pointing at himself as Ddraig only snorted and growled behind them.

"Simple." Akira answered, tossing Morgana into the air. Arsene appeared then grabbed the cat by the scruff of his neck. "Show us what you're made of!"

The humanoid-looking Persona immediately began to wind up and threw Morgana like a baseball. The cat careened right towards Kokabiel who did his best to fan away all the dust that was kicked up due to the multiple projectiles that had struck around him.

But as the Fallen Angel saw the feline fly right towards him, Morgana had dived right down the collar of Kokabiel's clothing.

"What the-!" Kokabiel cut himself off, feeling the cat just suddenly scurrying around his clothing as if its life depended on it. His pale hands began to constantly try to grab Morgana, but the feline proved to be a lot more elusive than he looked.

"Here I am!" Morgana announced, poking his body out behind Kokabiel's head. He pulled back the chains of Sudarshana and shot the back of the Fallen Angel's head at point-blank range. The cat then immediately ducked back into Kokabiel's clothing as the male angrily looked in the direction where he had been hit.

"Over here!" Morgana now peeked out from under Kokabiel's right arm and shot at the black-winged angels face. Scurrying back in, Morgana then appeared at the left hip. "Peek-a-boo!" The cat fired again then went back into the clothing. Kokabiel growled, grabbing his collar and got ready to snatch the cat by planning to reach into his clothing. But when he pulled, the Fallen saw the slingshot aimed for his face. "I see you!"

Morgana then popped out of the collar after releasing a final shot and ran away.

"Damn animal!" Kokabiel exclaimed, preparing a spear of light to throw.

"Oh no you don't!" Issei claimed, charging right towards him with the Ddraig Persona right behind him. The dragon spewed fire, hotter than any of the fighters near the action had ever felt. The Fallen Angel immediately rolled to the side, not even wanting to chance being a second inside of the flames.

When he got to his feet though, Issei had appeared right in front of Kokabiel from the fire with a double-barrelled shotgun equipped in his right hand. When the brunette had his entire arm extended, the tip of the barrel reached just reached Kokabiel's stomach. But just as the new Persona-user pulled the trigger, the Fallen had managed to side-step the spread.

"Is that it?" Kokabiel asked. "While I do commend you for that surprise attack," He then raised his hands to strike with his preferred element. "It was predictable!"

But then Issei immediately brought the firearm closer to his body, using his free hand to grab the top of the shotgun. "Predict this!" Just as Kokabiel was about to attack, the brunette quickly directed the barrel back at the Fallen and shot again, using the recoil to retreat out of the way.

In pain due to the point-blank damage from a shotgun, Kokabiel seemed to be a bit angrier than he was earlier as he rubbed his chest. Looking to the right, Ryuji, Yusuke, Xenovia, and Irina were all skating on sheets of ice Goemon was producing. All the humans immediately bent their knees while sliding, leaping up when frozen ramps were created for them.

Yusuke was the first among the crowd, having his blade drawn. Spinning in the air, he tried to slash Kokabiel but was blocked by the Fallen's light-based weapon. Ryuji came in soon came in with a yell, trying to hit the head. But due to his noise, Kokabiel simply made another weapon to block the blonde.

"Is that really all you got?" Kokabiel taunted. "I thought that with that sudden burst of confidence, you would all try to do something-"

But as the Fallen Angel had eyed both Phantom Thieves, he then saw that the two exorcists were on both of his exposed sides. While Captain Kidd was transporting Irina towards the enemy, Goemon gracefully launched Xenovia in the desired direction.

"Foolish!" The Fallen exclaimed, simply pushing his arms around so that Yusuke and Ryuji would block the way of attack.

[ _That's what you think!_ ] Futaba said while tapping several icons inside of Necornomicon. [ _Here we go… and ultra charge!_ ]

Both Phantom Thieves immediately released the grip on their weapons. Just before landing on their feet, small tornados of white light wrapped around the four humans that were currently attacking. While Yusuke rolled forward on the ground, Ryuji whacked the back of Kokabiel's leg with his shotgun while Yusuke shot the kneecap.

Causing the Fallen to buckle down, Kokabiel immediately felt two blades slash his front and back.

While the exorcists had grabbed the Phantom Thieves to help them escape, The Fallen Angel growled in pain. The two Excaliburs certainly did their job in being effective against their enemy. Generating light, Kokabiel immediately hissed when he put the element against the wounds, cauterizing the massive cuts.

Looking up, he raised his hand to stop Issei from swinging a massive rocket launcher around. But the strength behind the boy surprised the Fallen Angel as the old being had skidded along the ground but still retained footing. Shaking his hand in pain, Kokabiel challenged the next swing Issei attempted by using both hands as well as a spear of light.

Both weapons clashed, causing the two of them to struggle for dominance. Kokabiel managed to win their trade, sending the boy flying back and rolling. Completing his full swing, the Fallen spread his wings and charged right for Issei.

All the Devils in the sky that watched the entire ordeal on the ground play out continued to stay in the air. But when the red-head and her Queen saw what the Fallen was doing, they both got their magic ready. [ _Wait a moment!_ ] Futaba's voice rang through their heads and they all looked at the UFO-Persona.

"Why?!" Rias questioned, pointing down to the ground. "Kokabiel's heading right for Issei and none of you are doing anything!"

[… _Okay, yeah, that's true._ ] Futaba admitted. [ _But you remember what Akira said at the beginning of the fight? He wants I-cchi to show what he can do. Stuff just can come to a Persona user in how to use their new powers. It's a spur of the moment kind of thing since the Persona is technically them. Just give I-cchi a chance._ ]

"Look!" Ravel exclaimed, pointing in the direction of the action. "Hyoudou-san looks fine!"

Issei had gotten back up to his feet almost immediately, spinning in the air and skidding on the ground due to the momentum behind the force that launched him. While keeping his feet firmly planted on the ground, Issei then planted the barrel of his rocket launcher onto the ground. Opening the part that would have revealed the chamber where a rocket would be loaded, several mini-rockets began to fire out from the space.

Having already charged in too closely, the Fallen Angel was immediately consumed by all the tiny explosives that made contact with his body.

But the assault didn't end there. Ddraig slammed its massive front-right foot down just as Kokabiel was flying away from the burst of flames. Just as it crushed the Fallen, the dragon-Persona brought up the limb. Using the tips of its claws, Ddrag pinched the head of the enemy and brought Kokabiel up to its eye-level. The Persona then exhaled smoke, causing the Fallen to cough before getting his face slammed in by the snout of Ddraig. Almost as if dismissive, the dragon dropped the one in its claws to the ground.

"You… you all will-!"

Kokabiel didn't even get to finish as he got back up to his feet when he heard a cannon fire.

He then felt two feet plant themselves on the back of his skull with the force of a cannonball.

Being sent skidding down the ground face first, Kokabiel looked up to see that the culprit was Koneko. The white-haired female seemed to be dusting herself off as Milady and Haru approached her from behind.

"Are you okay, Koneko-chan?" Haru asked with a bit of a worried look after a light jog. "I know it was your idea and everything, but I'm still not certain if you were hurt being fired out of Milady like that."

"It's fine, Okumura-senpai." Koneko answered, eyeing Haru. "That Heat Riser spell you used seemed to be very effective." She then continued to wipe off some black marks on her skin. "Plus, something broke my fall."

As they both looked forward, Haru quickly stepped in front of Koneko with her axe up to defend herself. Just in time, the heiress blocked an attack from Kokabiel's fist. Unfortunately, the force was strong enough to knock her away from the white-haired girl.

Koneko, now left alone, knew that she didn't stand a chance against the Fallen Angel alone. Attempting to flee, she found herself suddenly being brought up in the air with a hand wrapped around her neck. Grabbing the wrist, she put in futile effort to try and break free. But she was not strong enough and found herself being slammed onto the ground.

Cracking the ground with the girl's body, Kokabiel got his other hand ready with a spear of light to stab Koneko. But just before he could, the element was destroyed, and he turned around to see that a sword of all things cut right through the energy.

Kiba made sure to not give Kokabiel the chance to react so the blonde followed up on his attack immediately. Spinning in the air while releasing the sword that was in his hand originally, the boy produced two blades and slashed. The Fallen Angel however proved to have fast reflexes, just managing to grab the swords before they could cut his face.

Grunting while feeling a bit of a stinging sensation on his leg, he looked down to see that a tether of sorts was wrapped around his knee as the limb was encased in ice. Following the line, Kokabiel's eyes soon laid upon Ann holding a whip.

Chuckling in amusement, Kokabiel was distracted to notice a tree made of ice grow from the ground and trapping his other leg and about half of his body. When he realized his condition, he looked to his side to see Asia holding a card with a large snowflake (Bufudyne). Snarling, he raised his hands.

But then his reaction was too late as he immediately found himself engulfed in a pillar of fire while being launched sky high. Riding the pillar up before the heat died down, Kokabiel heard a cannon fire again. Looking over, her saw Koneko in the air right above him before she somersaulted in the air and slammed Kokabiel towards the ground with the back of her foot.

Before the Fallen Angel could even touch the ground, Makoto came roaring onto the scene with Johanna. Skidding to a halt just right under the falling character, she pulled out Judge of the Dead and shot Kokabiel's shoulder before he hit the ground. The impact from the bullet caused the Fallen to tumble around more in the air and land right behind the motorcycle-Persona.

Koneko came falling from the air soon after, planting both feet right against the black-winged being's back before hopping forward. When the white-haired girl sat down quickly while grabbing Makoto's waist, the brunette began to rev the motorcycle. While this happened, blue energy roared right out from the exhaust pipes and into Kokabiel's face before the two rode away.

"Enough of this!" Kokabiel roared out, slamming a fist onto the ground in frustration. The impact caused the ground beneath him to crack. "I am Kokabiel, Angel of the Stars! You should all fear me! Compared to you all, I have the strength of a god!"

"How nice." Akira drawled out in an unimpressed manner. "In that case, you should fear us." He countered, not even intimidated by the rambling of the Fallen Angel. He had his arms folded even as Kokabiel was getting up. "We killed a god."

That response just seemed to irritate Kokabiel as the Fallen charged right towards Akira in a blind rage. But before he could even reach the human, Issei came running in front the side. Grabbing the Fallen Angel by the arm, Issei threw him away from the spot while tossing several sticks of dynamite in the same direction.

Just before Kokabiel hit the ground, the explosives rolled under the Falllen. With explosions detonating under the body and throwing him in the air again, Kokabiel couldn't react fast enough when Ddraig balanced two talons against the Fallen's stomach. With an easy rotation of the limb, the dragon-Persona slammed Kokabiel to the ground.

With a flick of its claws, Ddraig sent Kokabiel skidding along the ground. During the grind, the Fallen Angel recovered by rolling backwards. Holding his arm out, Kokabiel created a spear of light which stabbed Issei in his leg.

The contact with the holy element against is flesh cause the boy to scream in agony. Issei then went limp for a couple of seconds as he fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. While the brunette hissed in pain, Kokabiel stabbed Issei's other leg before kicking the boy across the ground.

But Ddraig was right behind Issei, catching the brunette in its mouth. Rearing its head back, the Persona spat Issei out like a bullet and the boy was careening back to the Fallen Angel with all dynamite sticks ignited. Upon slamming his head against the black-haired male's, all the explosives detonated and consumed the two of them in fire.

As the two of them few out of the flames, Rias caught Issei while Akeno was carrying Asia up to heal the boy. With Kokabiel meanwhile, he straightened out his positioning in mid-air and tried to regain his bearings. But then he quickly found that the middle of his body was completely covered in a large, thick layer of ice, completely immobilizing his arms.

When Kokabiel looked around, his eyes fell upon Sona and he glared. Despite his predicament he still managed to spread his wings and flew right towards the black-haired female.

But just before he reached her, Akira came flying in while holding onto Arsene. The Persona grabbed the Fallen by the foot while tossing the teenager into the air. Seeing how the ice was big enough for Akira to stand on, it provided to be a landing surface for him.

Cracking his knuckles menacingly while narrowing his eyes, Akira grabbed then flourished Paradise Lost and the Tyrant Pistol. Stepping around Kokabiel repeatedly, he became a furious blur of gunshots and slashes. Eventually, Akira placed a Megido Bomb against the Fallen's chest and flipped backwards off the slippery platform.

As Arsene caught Akira and the bomb detonated, Kokabiel careened to the ground. Just upon impact, Issei was standing a few feet away. Pounding his fists onto the ground before slamming them together, both hits produced small explosions.

Wobbly getting up, Kokabiel saw the brunette and immediately summoned two spears of light. Issei only grinned at the challenge, suddenly swinging his right arm around in circles. Eventually, the boy managed to generate a wheel made of fire before rearing his arm back and launching himself forward with the flames.

Using both spears to block the attack, Kokabiel and Issei were at a stalemate at first. But then the green gems on the gauntlets that Issei wore started to glow ever brighter than before. With a roar, Issei managed to beat Kokabiel in strength, causing the Fallen to constantly spin around in the air like a wheel.

Kokabiel screamed in frustration, stopping himself and flying away. Raising both hands, the Fallen began to use up all the strength he had remaining. All that effort created a spear of light that was ten times his size and nearly three times his width.

[ _Oh boy, that looks big._ ] Futaba commented before she started typing something in front of her. A dragon-head icon then appeared inside of a triangle with each line of the shape being red, purple, then green. [ _Here come the buffs, I-cchi!_ ] She exclaimed while slamming her fist onto the picture.

Smirking at information, Issei stomped onto the ground when multiple lights flowed over him while raising his fists in anticipation. "Promotion! Rook!"

Just as Kokabiel threw the massive spear towards the boy. Just at the weapon flew, Issei's fist made impact with the tip. But it was not enough to deflect or destroy the light. Following through the motion, the boy just managed to knock the spear back a couple of feet. The weapon still remained intact and continued to fly right towards him. So Issei kept on swinging fist after fist, furiously advancing towards the Fallen Angel at the same time.

With a final punch, Issei destroyed the spear; blinding Kokabiel in the process. Rushing towards the Fallen in a crouch, the brunette hopped up and threw an uppercut right against his enemy's chin. Landing on the ground after a spin, Issei then skipped and punched Kokabiel's jaw again. Spinning around and landing down for a second time, the brunette then jumped up and nailed the chin a third time.

Grabbing the Fallen's face while in the air, Issei slammed that part of the body to the ground before stomping on it.

After that, the area around them fell silent. Kokabiel didn't move.

Panting, Issei looked over towards everyone who was watching him. "Hah… So…" He tried catching his breath, hands on his knees. "He done now? Or are we still going?"

"...Yeah, he's pretty much beaten." Futaba finally nodded her head just as she slid out from the bottom of Necronomicon. "We did deal some serious blows to him."

"Especially to his pride." Koneko commented.

Looking at one another, more silence occurred. But it was easily broken in seconds when many of them began to cheer loudly. Some had contributed to the noise however, choosing to clap rather than be vocal. When everyone settled down onto the ground, then walked around while congratulating one another.

Issei however, fell right off his feet and onto all fours before rolling onto his back. He looked completely exhausted. "Ugh… my arms hurt all of a sudden…" He groaned, his clothing suddenly flashing red before they disappeared to reveal his original attire with only a single gauntlet on his right hand. "What's going on?" Eventually, his arms gave out and he fell flat onto his face. To make himself more comfortable, he rolled onto this back.

"So, looks like he's finally feeling the backlash of unlocking his Persona for the first time." Morgana noted, skipping over to observe the boy panting. "No need to worry about it, we all went through it… Well, now that I think about it, I think only Lady Ann and Yusuke went through what you're experiencing now." He shrugged while patting Issei's side. "Well, no matter. Just give it a couple of hours and you should be good to go."

In the middle of the conversation, Kokabiel's hand twitched.

A few among the group noticed this. Before they could properly comprehend the action, Kokabiel lunged straight for Haru with a tiny weapon made of light in his hands.

Before he could even reach her though, something immediately fell from the sky down onto the Fallen and right in front of Haru.

A single figure in white-armor that covered their entire body was the one responsible for the action. The head only looked down towards the one who was under their foot. "How the mighty have fallen, Kokabiel." The person spoke, not amused at the body he looked at. "You say how you are your Fallen are the strongest, yet here you and your followers were beaten by a small group of Devils and humans. It's almost humorous. I suppose it is also no surprise that you couldn't best the Phantom Thieves."

"What the- who are you?!" Ryuji exclaimed, drawing his firearm just in case things got messy. Everyone else meanwhile also readied a form of attack just in case the person was hostile.

The two exorcists however instead were extremely surprised at the reveal. "The… Phantom Thieves?" Xenovia questioned, looking over towards the rest of the humans. "That's the group that would steal hearts and force people to confess their sins!"

"…Uhh… yeah…" Futaba awkwardly drawled out, looking over. "Do us a solid, and do not tell anybody about us, okay? There's a reason we try to keep this a secret. The last thing we need is the Church banging on our doors, and Jehova witnesses are already more than enough for my taste for your religion."

The two exorcists seemed to be exasperated at Futaba's reply, but they chose not to say anything.

Haru however kept staring at the armored figure in surprise and shock. "That voice…" After a few seconds, she then blinked. "Ah, is that you Vali-kun?" The girl asked pleasantly suddenly with a smile.

The helmeted head slowly moved its head up to eye the female. "You are correct, Haru Okumura." He nodded slowly. "Azazel finally came back from what he was originally doing. He asked that I track Kokabiel down and bring him back using any necessary force. But it appears that minimum effort will be used thanks to you and your companions."

The heiress only chuckled. "I guess you found us by the sounds and images of fighting going on here."

"Yes, I did follow the noise and lights." Vali confirmed.

"…Oh, it's just Vali-san." Akira stated, standing back up straight and holstering his gun. "It's fine. Everyone put your weapons down."

While all of them Phantom Thieves did what they were told, the Devils and exorcists meanwhile did not relax at all. "Akira-san, you know who that is?" Sona asked slowly, making sure that her words were getting to Akira's brain.

"Yeah, pretty much." The addressed male nodded his head. "He's associated with Azazel-san." Not responding to the looks Sona and Rias both gave him, he proceeded over towards Vali who was just beginning to grab Kokabiel by the collar of the clothing the Fallen wore. "What exactly is going to happen to him anyways?" His head tilted towards the body in curiosity.

Vali, behind his helmet, only eyed Haru for a moment before bringing his full attention to Akira. "I imagine Azazel will seal him away. In a suitable prison. Cocytus, I assume."

Well, at least this meant that they weren't going to flat out kill the Fallen Angel. "Cocytus? I have no idea what that place is." He frowned a bit before regaining his usual look. "But, if Azazel-san says that it's a suitable prison, then so be it." Akira then held up his hand to gesture at the body. "He's all yours."

The person covered in armor nodded their head. He didn't leave though. Instead, Vali turned and faced Issei who was still on the ground. "So, you're the one who holds the Red Dragon Emperor."

Grunting, Issei did his best to stand. He had to end up using Asia to support him, but the brunette was still on his own two feet. "Yeah I am. What about it?" He asked, taking in a deep breath to regain some air from his short pants.

"So, we meet at last." Vali did not release his grip on Kokabiel. "Allow me to introduce myself to those not familiar with me. I am the opposite of your dragon who dwells within the Boosted Gear… I am the one who bears Divine Dividing."

That reveal made several of the Devils and even both of the exorcists flinch. "Divine Dividing… Are you telling me that you're the White Dragon Emperor?!" Rias questioned in shock.

"The White Dragon Emperor?" Ann questioned. "Wait, hold on! Can someone at least explain to us who are not that well-informed of all the supernatural stuff what this is about?!"

"Let's save it for later, when you're ll not in a public place dressed as Phantom Thieves." Sona stated, deciding it would be best to explain things when everything was quiet. "But to make things easy, Issei's Sacred Gear contains the Red Dragon Emperor, the rival to the White Dragon Emperor. Even through the years of their existence, their wielders still fight each other to see who is the strongest between the two dragons." She even sweated a bit nervously. "The two of them battling anywhere will be completely catastrophic."

"I bear his power and can wield it to great effect, Gremory and Sitri. But you do not need to worry. I am out on an errand. That is all." Vali answered before facing Issei. "Although it seems that you are unable to use your power properly."

"What was that?" Issei gritted out, glaring at the white-armored person. "I don't see you knocking down Kokabiel at the very beginning! Just you wait until I catch my breath and use my Persona again! Then I'll show you using my power properly!"

"…" Vali tilted his head curiously. "A Persona you say? Like the Phantom Thieves?" The brunette did not answer, but the white-armored male still got what he was waiting for. "How enlightening. Maybe you will prove to be a lot more interesting than I expected." Turning around, he began to walk away. "It's time for me to take my leave. I expect our next meeting to come shortly."

"Bye, Vali-kun!" Haru waved. "See you soon then!"

Stopping, the figure slowly turned their head. Eyeing the heiress, the man eventually nodded his head back in a gesture of politeness. "Farewell."

Vali flew into the air, became a blue streak, and was out of sight in seconds.

"Wow… just… wow." Ryuji whistled, impressed at the speed they had watched. An awkward silence then passed between all of them. "…So… what now?" He asked, looking at everyone while shrugging.

"It's late." Ravel responded, folding her arms. "I at least suggest we all just go back to our homes and sleep it off. We do still have school tomorrow."

"Wait, seriously?!" The boy with the skull-faced mask quickly pulled out his phone and looked at the date. "Damn it, you're right!" He groaned. "Why does it feel like tomorrow is a weekend though?!"

"Well, the human body supposedly needs around 1.5 to 1.8 hours of deep sleep per night minimum." Futaba supplied. "So, we're still in the clear. Though I think I-cchi is going to need as much rest as he needs since it looks like he overdid it."

The mentioned brunette wobbled, but still managed to stand on his own. "Oh yeah… that reminds me…" He breathed before looking over to Akira. "So, how was I?" Issei asked with a bit of a joking grin and chuckle. "Think I made the cut to be a Phantom Thief like you guys?"

Akira blinked before putting a hand to his chin. "Hmm… with a bit more training you it may work. Plus, we could always use a demolition expert."

"You are not using Issei-san as a demo man." Sona deadpanned. "The last thing I need are unnecessary explosions around Kuoh without proper supervision."

While the Phantom Thieves and Devils interacted with one another, none of them noticed the two exorcists just standing a fair distance away and staring.

 **After 5 days of work and 2 days of volunteering a week, I finally caught a break. Now, it's 5 days of school a week... So not much of a change really.**

 **Lo and behold, a new chapter... with a fight against someone who should be powerful but seemed to be underwhelming. In my defence, Kokabiel ambushed and scattered them all over the place at first. With everyone back together, in synch, and giving Issei a Persona, Kokabiel stood no chance against them in my opinion.**

 **Okay... maybe I should end up at least describing what Issei can do with his Persona. I'll give you guys the abridged version.**

 **Issei with his Persona Ddraig will have his power being above average (eg. stats as if he were a video game character). He will mainly focus on physical, gun, and fire damage (dynamite and other explosives). Due to his Sacred Gear, his physical and magical power will double every 15 (rather than 10) seconds but will reduce his endurance/stamina in return equally.** **Just like his Sacred Gear, Issei can transfer that stored power to increase the strength of people or objects.** **Since he's a Pawn piece, he can affect his own strengths and weaknesses, depending on how he promotes himself. He is IMMUNE to FIRE, RESISTANT against DARK (Devil magic or something?), and WEAK to ICE and LIGHT.**

 **No flames please.**


	27. Chapter 27

**This is a fanfic. BUY THE FUCKING MERCHANDISE!**

"…So… how have the exorcists been?"

"You ask this question now after nearly a week?"

Akira held up his hands in a mock surrender when Sona gave him a look.

Sitting on a chair, the raven-haired teen leaned back while prying his attention away from the chess board that sat in front of him. The table that carried the game was also in front of his usual opponent, Sona. Since it was Akira's turn, Sona had asked her question so that she could have time to think while she would get her answer.

"Well, as you know, they've been getting used to school life here at Kuoh Academy." The boy answered, leaning forward. His eyes darted around on the board, think of his next move and words. "But as you know… since they are exorcists and that God of the bible is dead…" He didn't say anything after in favor of moving a game piece.

"Yes…" Sona sighed, closing her eyes for a second before opening them again. "That sort of news was indeed a shock to everyone that was present for that reveal. It still surprises me however that despite them already finishing their mission, they still remain here in Kuoh for the moment."

"Can't say I blame them." Akira added, watching Sona reach over to the board but then stop. "In an environment like the church, praising their dead god, having to go back to a place like that would not be healthy in my opinion." Sona then moved a piece and Akira immediately reacted in turn. "It is a relief however that the Church did not violently react by us granting them shelter and that Irina-san with Xenovia-san did not reveal our identities."

"What you have done is also most generous. No doubt that they feel like they owed you that and more." Sona commented, looking at the student who also wore glasses. "Though it is a shock that two Excalibur wielders are allowed to stay away without some of the higher-ups coming here to make sure that they are not being tempted by us Devils." She then moved a knight piece.

"Hm." Akira hummed with a nod of his head, shifting a pawn. "Despite them being rather open and friendly at school, they are actually quite quiet when inside our home."

"Just like you stated earlier, no one can blame them." The Devil moved her rook next.

"Yes, that is true." He nodded in agreement, capturing a pawn with his bishop. "We do want to at least try to talk to them. Unfortunately, it is a subject that us Phantom Thieves all wanted to tread lightly on and decided to only discuss the subject when they want to. Which, so far, has proven to be fruitless."

"Give it time." Sona suggested.

Akira raised an eyebrow. "It's been nearly a week."

The girl did not visibly react. "Give it more time then."

The male teen shrugged. "Already been doing that." Reaching over to the board, he ran his bishop into Sona's knight. "Check."

While the boy took away the knight, the female Devil blinked and looked carefully on the board. Indeed, Akira was correct with his call and it had caught her off-guard. She didn't have any choice. Sona moved her king over to be protected.

Akira slid his rook over immediately. "Check."

The quick move surprised Sona for a bit. Looking back on the board, she had no choice but to command her bishop to get in front of her king to block the enemy rook.

Without missing a beat, her opponent moved his second bishop to take out her defending bishop.

Sona exhaled, having her intellect be tested. Looking around, she tried to see what she could do. Her first rook was untouched as well as her queen. The second rook was standing in an odd spot with the castling move. She was missing both knights and bishops with only five pawns left over in poor positions.

Trying to think of a way to break free, she moved her second rook forward.

Akira moved his second rook to capture the opposite colored piece.

Sona did not hesitate to take that rook with a pawn.

Akira placed the first bishop one spot forward, closer to the enemy king.

Looking at her queen, the girl looked around the board. She then changed the positioning of the piece. "Check." She said, internally releasing a sigh of relief.

Akira moved his king into the corner.

Sona thought she had him on the ropes. Having her queen dash forward, the high piece captured a pawn.

The Phantom Thief immediately slid his second bishop forward to the end of the board on the enemy side. "Checkmate."

Sona's blood ran cold when Akira uttered those words. Snapping her head down, her eyes darted all over the board. Silently, she tried her hardest to find a way to prevent Akira's victory. But she couldn't. He was right. It was his win and her loss…

That panicked reaction did not bode well for Akira as he frowned a bit. "Sitri-san?"

"…I want a rematch."

The sudden words and tone the came from Sona took the boy by surprise. "Pardon?"

"Another game. Do over. Restart our match!" The outburst even caused Akira to lean back when Sona leapt to her feet. Pointing a finger forward, Sona hovered the very tip just in front of the boy's eyes with a rather intense look. It took her a couple of seconds though to realize what she was doing.

"…" Akira was cross-eyed, both pupils settling for staring at the bit threatening to jab between the eyes.

The beautiful-Devil blushed in embarrassment. Immediately, Sona retracted her extended limb. While that action occurred, she sat down onto her seat that was used when their game was in the working. "I… I apologize for my sudden outburst." The girl apologized, looking away in a bit of shame. "It was rude of me to point so closely at you too."

Akira diverted his gaze down towards the board. "…Apology accepted." He said just as he looked back towards the female who was doing her best to calm her nerves. "I – um…" Pressing his lips together tightly, he allowed the pressure for a couple of seconds. "Did not expect that sort of reaction from you." His confession only made Sona cringe even more.

"Y-yes… I don't blame you." She muttered quietly.

The glasses wearing figure that of the male sex however turned his head curiously. "…Is there a certain reason for that?" Akira asked. "You hardly seem like the type of person who would be a sore loser."

Sona Sitri did her best to calm herself down, taking deep breaths and exhaling. She managed to compose herself, but still had a face that was red due to self-consciousness. "The reason may seem… I'm not sure how to describe it…"

Akira did not speak. "…"

Sighing, the girl took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "Just like Rias, I too was supposed to wed another Devil from one of the 72 Pillars to keep a pure-bloodline. However, I was more fortunate with my parents allowing a duel of my choice to decide my fate." She took in a deep breath while fanning herself with her hand. "I beat my former fiancé in a game of chess and broken off my engagement in such a fashion."

"…Why chess?" The boy blinked.

"My former fiancé may be strong, but then he lacked the smarts." Sona tapped the side of her head. "I absolutely refuse to marry anyone of the sorts that is not smarter than me. That message and arrangement was made clear when I beat him"

Raising an eyebrow was the only way Akira could react physically when he saw Sona fold her arms with finality. "Seems like a rather high accomplishment one must achieve if you ask me." He leaned forward while folding his fingers. "So, the reason why you reacted when I won our game was because…"

Sona nodded her head at the unfinished sentence. "You are to become my fiancé." She finished.

Both of them fell silent. Sona's words were heavy and set the mood.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, it only lasted for less than 10 seconds.

"Do I actually have to marry you?" Akira questioned critically.

Due to Akira's tone, Sona stared. "Yes, you do. I said it myself." Her words seemed a bit agitated, probably due to the boy's attitude despite the very sensitive topic she brought up. She balled her hands up, frustrated at her loss.

He stared at her and her frustrated acceptance. Akira stayed silent through Sona's internal anger as he watched. Something bubbled inside of him as the seconds passed between the two of them. Reaching over, he hesitated for a moment. But soon, he put a hand on her shoulder.

The physical contact made Sona shot straight up and cause the two of them to make eye contact. Just that alone caused the girl to swallow as the boy had retracted his hand in reaction to her startled nature.

"…" Akira closed his eyes while taking in a deep breath and kept his hand hovering. "You refuse to marry anyone smarter than you… and I beat you in a game of chess…" He said slowly, causing Sona to clutch her head. "…Wouldn't that make me more of a potential candidate rather than your actual marriage partner?"

The question caused Sona to blank out for a second. "…I beg your pardon?"

The grey-eyed teenager leaned back. "Well… the way you explained your story. That was what happened, right?" Sona nodded her head to answer. "So, yeah, it means what you said. You will only marry someone who is smarter than you, not whoever can beat you at chess. It's not like the status of your contract was left up in the air under the stipulation that you would only marry the person capable of beating you at your own game."

Sona opened her mouth to retort but failed to make a sound. Closing her jaw, she looked to the side and began to think back. Her face began to flush red once again in embarrassment. "You're right…" She said quietly. "I got worked up over nothing."

"Yes, well, that may be the case. But, now you know and can use such facts to your advantage" Akira added in before looking at the clock. "Oops, looks like class is starting in a few minutes. Let me just clean up the board."

As Akira began to put all the game pieces back on their respective sides and squares, Sona diverted her eyes to gaze at the boy. For some reason, the very sight of him seemed to be… changed. It was as if she were seeing him in a completely different light suddenly.

"…Thank you for that insight." The raven-haired Devil said quietly. Akira did not look towards her, but she had a feeling that he greatly acknowledged her words. "…I kind of feel like hugging you right now."

"…" Akira took only a moment to come up with a response. "Yet as my friend, you know that would be a rash decision."

When he finished cleaning up, Sona blinked and snapped herself out of her thoughts. "Well..." She nodded her head before extending a hand. "I look forward to our next match."

Akira looked down at the limb for a couple of seconds. If he was surprised at the gesture, he did not show it since they mainly ended their sessions with an exchange of words. The boy still shook her hand with a nod of his head.

Turning towards the door, Akira began walking over. Just as his fingers wrapped around the knob, he stopped and turned around. "Almost forgot." He stated, causing Sona to look up from the bag she was picking off the ground. "We finally decided what we will be doing in celebration of returning the Excaliburs, defeating Kokabiel, and Issei awakening a Persona."

"Oh, that… sounds nice." Sona responded. "What do you all have in mind?"

 **TakeABreak**

"Whoa…"

Issei released an amazed breath when his eyes laid upon the many females that approached the school's pool. The sound that he made also caused the other males to look over and see that the girls were already changed into their swimsuits. There was a variety and majority of them being bikinis. The only ones wearing school-swimsuits were Asia and Koneko.

"Hey, did we keep you guys waiting?" Rias asked with a smile as she approached them. "I know there is a small tendency that girls change a bit slower than the males."

"Not really." Ryuji shook his head. "Though all we got to do it move all this stuff over to a safe spot, so it won't get wet. All of you can go in the pool right now if you want."

"I'll help you guys out." Ravel stepped forward.

"You can go on ahead, Kiba." Koneko spoke, pushing the blonde Devil away from the group of males. "I'll aid them as well."

Irina stepped forward as well. "Do you guys need anymore help? Xenovia and I could lend a hand if you still need it." She offered, but the blue-haired female remained silent and to herself.

"I don't think we need another pair of hands. Your offer is appreciated however." Yusuke informed after taking a mental headcount.

Asia however noticed Issei looking around deep in thought. "Issei-kun, is everything okay?" She asked, getting everyone's attention. "You seem to have something on your mind."

Issei scratched the back of his head. "Well… you guys might end up laughing at it."

Ann raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"I just realized something." The male brunette spoke with a shrug of his shoulders but grew a small grin. "You know how there is anime everywhere? Many of them eventually do an episode where they go to the beach or to a pool and hang out. This is like our beach or pool party episode! Isn't that - - isn't that cool?!"

"…" Everyone looked at each other.

"Nah." The male Phantom Thieves answered.

"Not really." The female counterparts followed up.

The user of the Boosted Gear scratched the back of his head, embarrassed by what he said. "Well, I think I'll go do what Ryuji-senpai suggested then." Running to the pool, he leapt into the air and curled up. "Cannonball!" His shout was followed by a loud and big splash which soaked some of their legs.

But despite having no intention of getting wet at the beginning, Rias still smiled. "Well, the rest of you don't need me to tell you what to do. Have fun!" While waving her hand, she jumped in after Issei.

More people decided to join in as well. Kiba dived in. Ann, Akeno, Makoto, Futaba and Haru submerged themselves gently from the edge of the pool. Asia followed slowly after, at bit nervous but excited at the same time. Irina nearly fell on top of Issei during her own dive.

The remaining people however did their own things. Akira was wheeling a barbecue grill with Yusuke and Xenovia also having their own separate grills. Setting them up near the pool, Ryuji unfolded a few tables that he was carrying with Koneko. Ravel and Sona meanwhile placed down the bags of food they were carrying onto such tables.

"Right, now let's enjoy ourselves. No need to get the food ready until later." Akira clapped his hands, and everyone went off to do their own activities. Taking out some equipment that would be used when cooking on the barbecue, he noticed that Sona didn't leave her spot.

Morgana also noticed this as he walked over. "Anything troubling you, Sitri-san?"

Sona blinked when she was addressed and shook her head. "N-no, I'm fine." She answered. "I was just thinking about something." She then looked at Akira and the cat. "What are you two planning to do?"

"Me?" Akira asked. "I was going to relax in the shade under those umbrellas." He pointed towards a couple of beach chairs set up under some large umbrellas. "Morgana was as well."

"…Interesting." Sona said. "I was going to do the same."

The raven-haired male teen looked towards the female. "Huh, that is interesting." He agreed with a nod of his head. After a couple of seconds of none of them speaking, he the broke the silence. "Want to go do that right now with me?"

The dark-haired duo walked over toward the chairs, passing by Ravel who was just wandering around the edge of the pool. "Hey, Ravel-san," Hearing her name be called, the blonde looked over to see Ryuji swimming towards where she was standing. "Why aren't you hopping on in? The water's pretty nice for this weather." He pointed up towards the sun. "I mean, I guess the Phenex family does have a tolerance to heat?"

Ravel gave him a flat gaze. "Yes, we do." She then shook her head and looked away while playing with her hair. "As for your other question… I don't feel like it."

Ryuji raised an eyebrow. Ravel could have just answered straight to his face. But instead, she chose to hide her expression from him. "…Ravel-san… can you swim?" He asked. The girl flinched but tried to act like nothing happened.

Feeling his eyes boring into her, Ravel faced forward. "No, I can't swim!" She confessed. "There, I said it! Just don't laugh at me!"

That sentence brought confusion to the blonde Phantom Thief. "Is the fact that you can't swim supposed to be funny?" He asked. "Cause I don't see the humor to it. I mean, there are tons of people who can't swim; even adults. Heck, most of the girls and Issei are teaching Asia-san, Futaba, and Koneko-san how to swim right now. Look."

Listening to Ryuji's words, Ravel looked up a bit to see that what he said was indeed true. Three of the shortest members of their group were being pulled as they kicked in the water.

"Trust me, it's not really something you should be embarrassed about. All you got to do is learn." The male blonde continued to speak. "Though the others look busy right now. I can teach you as well if you want."

"…Umm, su-sure." The girl nodded her head.

Bending her legs, Ravel carefully slipped one leg into the water. Shivering a bit due to the temperature, her positioning on the ledge was compromised and fell. Quickly, just as she hit the water and released a squeak of surprise, her arms wrapped around Ryuji's neck and almost pulled the boy down with her.

"Whoa!" Ryuji grunted, using one arm at first to hold them both up in the water. But he eventually managed to move his other arm over to fully support their bodies. "Well… that was a bit of a surprise." He said, looking up towards the air and breathing deeply to calm his nerves.

The female was confused to why Ryuji was reacting the way he was. Looking down, she realized that she was holding onto his rather tightly and was pressed her chest against his. Ravel unwrapped her arms from his neck and held onto the edge immediately upon discovery. "Ye-yeah." She agreed.

Pushing himself back, Ryuji managed to find footing at the bottom of the pool. "Right, just give me your hands and we'll get started." He informed while holding the exact limbs out.

Carefully reaching over, Ravel retracted her hands a bit just before making physical contact. But she immediately made up for that mistake by grabbing his hands right after.

Watching the blondes go around the pool, Yusuke sitting underneath some shade. Keeping everyone into account, the blue-haired male held his hands up. With his thumb and index fingers on both arms, he created a temporary, improvised frame to capture the moment in front of him. But while taking in the picture, he noticed that there was one person missing from the image.

"Trying to stay out of the heat too, Xenovia-san?" Yusuke asked as the girl set herself down next to him.

"Yes. The heat is a lot more intense than I anticipated." The girl confirmed with a nod of her head, trying to seat herself in a comfortable position. Yusuke only hummed in response and looked back to the scene that lacked only the two of them. "…Sorry… for this past week, allowing us to seek shelter within your home. We risked the Church potentially coming for the both of us.""

"It is okay." He said with a single nod. "It wouldn't be the same for you two with the fact that God is dead being back at your original homes."

Xenovia looked over. "I'm a bit surprised that none of you tried to discuss the issue with us."

"As much as we didn't exactly like it, it was an issue that was to be taken care of when you or Irina-san would decide." Yusuke answered, scratching his chin.

Blinking, the girl turned her vision away. Still sitting, she curled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them. The two of them did not speak a word at all.

"…I do not mean to compare, but I may have an experience familiar to this but much less intense." The artist-in-training spoke up, but the girl did not visibly react. "Being deceived… Taken advantage of… Those are some examples." He continued to speak, just thinking of what to come up with.

"…How?"

Yusuke turned his head slightly to see that Xenovia was looking at him from the corner of her eyes, just like he was doing with her. "My former teacher, Madarame-sensei, was also my legal guardian who taught me how to become an artist. He encouraged me to paint and draw, seeing how I had a talent in such an area. I was curious of what Sensei could perhaps create since I saw him as a master of art. But he said that he was in a very long stump, something very understanding."

"You said that you were deceived and taken advantage of…" Xenovia said quietly. "Did he take your work then and claim it as his own?"

"…He took artwork from other students, but you are very correct." Yusuke answered, not moving a muscle due to what he would say next. "But the main reason why I despise him was…" He took in a deep breath.

A hand was placed on his shoulder. Looking over, he saw Xenovia being the one to comfort him. "I'm… sorry that I'm making you say all of this. You only want me to feel better. I think it's about time I tell you what's on my mind anyways. So… there's no need to push yourself."

Looking down, a mixture of emotions flooded Yusuke's eyes before he nodded his head slightly.

"It's just… God is dead… There are, however, things I had done that were under the belief that he was still alive. Many of them… perhaps questionable things." Xenovia said quietly but Yusuke could hear it fine. She too looked down but did not stop. "I don't think I can speak for Irina. But for me, I didn't just become an exorcist to be an angel."

"You became an exorcist because you wanted to help people, especially considering how you are a wielder of one of the Excaliburs." Yusuke spoke, taking the blue-haired female's second of silence as a yes. "It is quite an admirable thing."

Xenovia did not acknowledge that last part though. The look on her face suggested she was in her own memories. "Yes… being chosen… When I was first selected to wield Durandal, I was ecstatic. Thrilled. How many people on this Earth and I was the one that was selected and chosen. I felt special… worthy… like I was going to accomplish something far greater than anyone of this generation could only think of. I was going to bring righteousness – justice – to the world. Become a hero… But after learning the truth… I don't feel like a hero at all…"

"…" Yusuke did not say anything.

"I've done questionable things…" The girl admitted softly. "They weren't good things. You may even consider them bad." She chuckled darkly, no humor at all when Yusuke frowned. "There was always something at the back of the mind. Doubt made me think. But I ignored it in favor of rationalizing. I explained to myself that by serving the Church, I was serving God who was a figure of the force of good. He must be because he is God. But now… can what I have done really be considered good when he was dead for that entire time?"

"…Do you remember of what Akira had said back during the incident with Kokabiel?" Yusuke decided to say. "Something that may have come as a shock towards the both of you?"

Xenovia turned her head a bit more. "…Yes." She answered. "He said that you all managed to kill a god."

"Their name was Yaldabaoth." He revealed, shocking his audience member. "I sharply remember something Morgana said just before we killed that god. Are you curious to what he said?" She nodded her head. "If a god plays naughty, then it's a demon lord's duty to punish them."

"But we're human… people. We're not like gods or demons." Xenovia pointed out.

"Then allow me to lower my example to something a bit more appropriate." Yusuke followed up. "If the exorcists are considered to be heroes after what you had described and thought of, then we Phantom Thieves will take the title as villains without hesitation." With his hand on his chest, he then gestured over to Xenovia. "Do you understand now?"

The female looked at the male in a bit of surprise due to… not really knowing how she should respond. But Xenovia still nodded her head, indeed comprehending the logic behind Yusuke's words. "Yes, I do…" She then looked over to see Rias getting out of the pool. "And I think I know what I am going to do next…"

Yusuke saw where Xenovia was looking and turned his head in that direction as well. Upon the red-haired Devil coming into his sights, he understood what was possibly going through Xenovia's head. "If it is what you choose, then go on ahead."

Whipping back to face the blue-haired male, she blinked and then nodded her head. "Thank you… for your kind words and everything else." The girl then got up and began to walk over to the Devil that was on her mind.

Seeing Xenovia hold a small conversation with Rias before the two of them began walking into the changing rooms, Yusuke nodded his head at the satisfaction the blue-haired girl wore on her face.

 **TakeABreak**

With the sound of sizzling filling the air, the scent of cooked food filled their nostrils.

On the barbecue grills were Akira, Ryuji, and Makoto. The rest of the Phantom Thieves meanwhile were assigned to seasoning the meats, vegetables, and other foods that were brought over to them. With the sun beginning to set, the environment around them looked warm as everyone else was relaxing in beach chairs.

"Are you sure that this is considered overcooked?" Ryuji asked, bringing his face closer to a meatball that he cooked. His face was scrunched up into a frown due to confusion.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure." Ann stated, poking the meat with a plastic fork. "Just feel it. You can see how hard it is just by doing that alone. Eat it, why not, to see that I'm right."

The male blonde hummed critically. Taking the meatball, he popped the food into his mouth and began to chew. After a few bites, Ryuji grew a bit of an unpleasant look on his face while swallowing. "Yeah… guess you're right." He said.

"Just make sure to do your best when cooking your balls." Ann said, turning around to take food from Akira and Makoto to bring over to the others.

While the leader of the Phantom Thieves was still cooking however, he started growing a small smile on his face due to their conversation. Ryuji looked over and did a double take when Ann left. Since Akira was within earshot of their conversation, the blonde had a feeling what was going on through his friend's mind.

"How hard are you trying not to make a ball joke right now?" Ryuji asked while raising an eyebrow.

Akira looked over. "…They're smoking." He stated.

"…Huh?"

The raven-haired teen then gestured with his chin. "Your balls."

Blinking, Ryuji looked over and saw that Akira's observation was correct. Just right after having a conversation with Ann about being more careful with cooking as well. "Gah!" He started rolling the meat around. "No, no, no. They're browning way too fast."

"Blue's the color you got to watch out for." Akira commented.

"Enough." Ryuji said to stop Akira from making any wittier comebacks. Cutting one of them open, Ryuji pointed in disbelief. "Look at how- they're still raw inside." He pointed out. "By the time they're cooked, the outside will be burnt."

"I think we have a medicated powder for that." Makoto decided to join in with Akira's humor, receiving a flat stare from Ryuji.

"Not you too, Makoto." The blonde groaned.

"Hey senpais, food almost good to go?" Issei asked, coming up towards the three of them. "Everyone is starting to get hungry, so I thought I'd ask to let them know."

"Seeing how almost everything is almost cooked, I think they're close to being finished." Ravel followed the brunette. Folding her arms, she sniffed and frowned a bit. Walking over next to Ryuji, she raised an eyebrow. "You know-"

"My meatballs are about to burn, yes." Ryuji sighed. "Well, looks like this batch is going to go bad."

But before anyone else could continue, Ravel raised a finger to stop the boy from going anywhere. "No… there still is something we can do." She looked around. "All we need…" She drawled her sentence out before walking to another place. "Is vinegar." She then held up a bottle of the stuff before moving around to find a barbecue brush and some cup or bowl.

"…Vinegar?" Ryuji questioned. "What's that going to do?"

"Well… there's acid inside of the vinegar." Ravel said, finding what she needed and coming back. She then poured some vinegar into a measuring cup. "All I have to do is add coat the meatballs in this, and the maillard reaction should be slowed down." Ryuji gave her an odd look which caused her to sigh as she coated the meatballs in vinegar. "Basically, they'll be cooked fully through and won't be burned."

"…Really, that's it?" Ryuji asked before looking back onto the grill. "…Cool."

"That's awesome, Ravel-san!" Issei gave the girl a thumbs up. "You did a really nice job handling Ryuji-senpai's balls!"

Akira was the only one to laugh at the looks Ryuji and Ravel gave towards Issei.

 **Eh… I think I handled this chapter decently.**

 **But at least for that Sona scene… I only read on the wiki that Sona doesn't automatically marry if she lost a game of chess. Only that she refuses to marry anyone who isn't smarter than her. Is that a fanfic thing where she must marry whoever beats her at chess? Or am I just getting something wrong? Either way, I wanted to try something different.**

 **No flames please.**


	28. Chapter 28

**This is a fanfic. BUY THE FUCKING MERCHANDISE!**

"Seriously, Akira-senpai, how do you managed to pull all of those stunts off?"

Panting while taking the water bottle the black-haired boy handed him, Issei took a couple of greedy gulps before gasping. With his hands on his knees, the brunette serious seemed to be exhausted. Looking up, he saw that the 3rd year student was sweating as well. However, Akira was looking better than Issei a bit.

They were inside of the grand household of the Phantom Thieves. As they already knew, the giant building provided giant rooms. Apparently, a gym of sorts was one of those very things provided. Well, more of a training room was what they were in. The gym was right next door.

"Honestly, I'm not sure if there truly is an explanation." Akira answered the brunette, taking a sip from his own water bottle as well. Swallowing, he rolled his hand a bit. "But if I had to try and put it into words… I think it's because of a mental thing." He narrowed his eyes looking up thought, trying to process the words he had said.

He wasn't the only one to do so. Issei also was confused. "Mental thing?" The second-year asked. "What does the brain have to do with doing rolls, flips, and all that stuff? Wouldn't physical thing be a bit more appropriate?"

Akira shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe." His statement was curt. "But we unlocked our Personas first in the Metaverse." He began to explain soon after. "After that, just…" The boy scratched his head. "Never mind, scratch that. You remember how you suddenly were bursting with energy and ready to go despite being exhausted when you got your Persona, right?"

"Well, yeah, I remember." Issei nodded his head, looking down to his hands, still partially fascinated that they basically turn into metal, talon gauntlets. "It was absolutely amazing… I sort of got the same feeling when the fight first began."

The upperclassman nodded his head. "Something like that. If you never have done it before, you always think that you cannot pull it off. But if you just try and pull it off with confidence…"

Running towards the wall while changing into his Phantom Thief outfit, Akira jumped up and place his foot against the vertical surface. Kicking off the surface, he would have fallen if it wasn't for Arsene using its hands as a surface. Akira then continued the pattern of bouncing off the wall to his Persona multiple times at a fast pace.

With one final kick off Arsene, the teenager flipping in the air a few times before landing back down onto the ground and striking a pose while adjusting his gloves. "You can pull off stunts just like all of us." Akira finished while turning back to normal and his Persona disappearing.

"…Wow…" Issei just breathed in amazement, stunned at the example that was pulled off and the fact that he could do stuff like that too.

"Yeah, wow." Akira confirmed for the boy.

Hearing footsteps approaching from their sides, which sounded different than their breaths, the two teenagers turned their heads. "Hey, you two finished down here?" Makoto asked. They may look down but who knew it they were really taking a break.

"Yeah, pretty much." Akira nodded his head while Issei just gave a thumbs up. "Need something?"

Makoto scratched the top of her head a bit. "Not really." She answered, getting Akira to turn his head a little to indicate that he knew there was more on her mind. "I'm just letting you know that Sakura-san just arrived."

"Oh, really?" Akira asked. Taking out his phone, he looked at the time. "Hm, I expected him to be a couple of hours later." He then shrugged his shoulders. "Doesn't matter. Best I greet him as well, huh?"

Issei however was confused. Makoto didn't have to nod her head as Akira began to make his way towards the exit of the room which made the male brunette ask. "Who is this Sakura-san person?" The name then partially dawned on him. "Are they related to Futaba?"

"You could technically put it like that." Makoto answered the boy, watching him catch up before she too exited the training room. "Sakura-san is pretty much Futaba's father. He was also responsible for housing Akira last year."

Issei then began to think. The father of Futaba while also being the one to shelter Akira for about a year. The brunette already began to picture the man. The adult at least had to have orange hair according to Issei's first thoughts. But when he walked into the living room and saw what the man looked like, it slightly caught the boy off guard.

In his sights was a middle-aged man with slicked-back dark hair. While the hairline was receding, it helped show off his gray eyes and a chinstrap beard with a goatee that flared out. Over his eyes were a pair of glasses. The man had on a white two-button blazer and in his hands was a white trillby with a red-white-and-blue striped hat band.

"Oh, so this is the infamous I-cchi I've heard Futaba talk about." The man commented as soon as his eyes laid upon Issei. Looking at the male brunette, the adult just scanned the boy.

"He's not as bad as Futaba makes him out to be if… she seemed to emphasize on some things." Akira patted Issei on the shoulder. "Issei, meet Sojiro Sakura. Boss, you've already seen Issei Hyoudou and now here you are meeting him." He introduced the two of them.

"…So, he didn't peek through a hole into the girl's changing room that was on the outside?" Sojiro asked while raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, no, that was real." Akira confirmed. But then he saw that Sojiro just continued to look over Issei carefully. Akira narrowed his eyes slightly in a curious manner. "…Did Futaba tell you anything else about him?" He had to ask while turning his head. "Anything… that sort of reminded you of us being Phantom Thieves?"

"Not exactly trying to be subtle about it, huh?" Sojiro folded his arms while resting his chin against his hand. "But to answer your question, yes. Futaba did say something about you all being involved with a group of Devils and stuff like that. At first it surprised me since, well, they're Devils… Err, no offense if I said something insensitive." He apologized in Issei's direction.

"Huh?" Issei asked in a bit of confusion. But it eventually clicked in his mind and understood what Sojiro meant. "Oh, n-no, it's completely cool." He shook his head while waving his hands. "I was kind of like that as well when I first became a Devil and Buchou was fine with it so I don't let it bother me either." Something then caused Issei to freeze before looking over in Akira's direction. "Wait… Phantom Thieves? Sakura-san know about you guys and your secret?"

"Yeah." Futaba spoke up, scrunching up her face in a funny expression. "Long story short, Sojiro found out and was cool with it after eventually explaining ourselves."

"…You at least remember me being a bit tense during that, right?" Sojiro questioned.

"Yup, but that's water under the bridge because I know you love us." The ginger grinned while teasing.

The adult sighed. "Onto a different topic," He then coughed. Looking around, he looked like he was admiring the interior of the building. "I've got to say, I am impressed with the place you all are living in now. It's like a mansion in here. And you said that a… Fallen Angel helped you guys with this?"

"One of the leaders or something like that." Ryuji answered with a wobble of his hand to indicate that Sojiro had the right idea. "Well, less helped and more did it behind our backs while we were at school as a way of saying thanks." He then looked around. "You know, I'm kind of surprised that Nijima-san isn't here. I was sort of expecting her to be coming here with you, Boss."

Sojiro hummed, turning his body around to face the blonde. "Sae-san is currently working on a case, so she's been pretty busy lately." He explained. "Besides, I'm not just here for a social visit. Do you know how far this place is from Tokyo?"

That response took Ryuji by surprise. "Wait, not just a social visit? What else could you be here for then?"

Ann flatly stared at Ryuji. Turning her head over to the rest of the Phantom Thieves, she had to ask. "So, do one of you guys want to tell him, or should I?"

 **TakeABreak**

Apparently Kuoh Academy had something going on that many people knew about but then it just slipped their minds. According to all the teachers, they would be hosting open classes. So, it wouldn't just be the students' parents who could come to observe, but middle schoolers too.

To Sojiro, he honestly felt old standing among the many parents as well as children that were participating in the open class. The parents were at least in their twenties or thirties so that part was understandable. But the kids were something he did not expect. Seriously, shouldn't the kids at least be in class or something?

Still, he was proud of Futaba. It was not because she knew a lot of what was going on in class. He sort of expected something like that since she learned so much about computers and other subjects that were much more advanced for her age. One had to at least know the basics before building up on it after all.

No, it came from her decision to move with Akira and the others. Even when Futaba had started going out of the house for the first time in years, she mainly went out whenever the others would. Other than that, she hung around the house and such. Thankfully as time passed, she eventually managed to go out to shop for her own stuff once. But that turned into the sudden leap when she told him that she wanted to live with her friends in another town,

In the middle of class, watching Futaba whisper to a white-haired girl that was probably smaller than her and a blonde, a small smile grew on Sojiro's face. The ginger was just growing up and it made him happy.

The bell rang and indicated that class was over. As students began to escape into the halls, Sojiro saw this coming and managed to slip out before the wave of people came crashing out. Leaning against the side, he waited for the herd to thin out. Luckily, he didn't need to go back into the room since Futaba and the white-haired female were at the end of the crowd.

"I've got to say, they're teaching some pretty good stuff for your age." The corners of Sojiro's mouth twitched upwards to make a small smile. "Glad to see that you're doing pretty good for yourself as well." He added, looking towards Futaba's companions.

"Heh, thanks, Sojiro." Futaba chuckled with a small grin on her face. Realizing that the older man was staring at two people, she then pulled them both in for a friendly hug. "Oh, right, let me introduce you to my classmates. This one here is Koneko-chan." Futaba wiggled her right arm, indicating that the white-haired girl with the almost deadpanning gaze was who she claimed it was. "While over here is Ravel-chan." The blonde however seemed to look a bit awkward in Futaba's grasp.

"Hi." Koneko greeted.

"…It's a pleasure to meet you, Sakura-san." Ravel managed to regain her composure with a bow after slipping out of Futaba's grip.

"It's nice to meet you two as well." Sojiro nodded.

Futaba then whipped her head around a couple of times. "Hey, I just realized," She started. "Where are your guys' parents?"

"They were too busy when this day would come, unfortunately." Ravel answered.

"…" Koneko lowered her head a bit so her bangs covered her eyes. "…I don't have any relatives."

Blinking, the three people serving as an audience went silent for a few seconds. Each of them looked to each other. "Err… sorry about that, Koneko-chan… I didn't know." Futaba apologized quietly, patting the small girl on her shoulders. "Tell you what though, why don't start eating now? Sojiro made us lots of curry to eat. If you think Akira's was good, wait until you try this!" She attempted to cheer her friend up. "Sojiro was the one to teach Akira after all!"

Slowly looking up, Koneko had a bit of drool dribbling from the corner of her mouth.

 **TakeABreak**

"Someone even said that they would pay $80 for this!"

"Eighty bucks? Seriously? We're in Japan. Shouldn't it be, like, Yen or something?"

Issei proudly showed off the clay figure that he had made in English class of all subjects to his fellow Peerage and the rest of the high-school Phantom Thieves in the halls. What arts such as sculpting had to do with a language, none of them had any idea. But still, what Issei showed off was… interesting to say the least.

"Well, it's certainly interesting to see how the Red Dragon Emperor looks like in a small form." The red-head mused. In Rias' hands was the sculpture of a large western dragon, with a long neck, green eyes, and spikes throughout its body.

Yusuke bent forward, taking in the details of the art piece. "Magnificent." He breathed, seeming rather impressed at the object. "I do not recall perfectly how Ddraig looks, but this sculpture almost contains so many details one would not see at first glance. Look at the how the scales are distinguished from one another to form a smooth pattern still, like the skin of a shark. The eyes even have their pupils and corneas separate, not just two blank balls."

"How the heck were you even able to pull something like this off anyways?" Ryuji asked, raising an eyebrow while looking at the brunette.

"Well, I didn't know what I should make at first." Issei explained himself. "So I decided on the first thing that would pop into my head. So I first though, Buchou with her nice boobs, tight ass, wide child-bearing hips, and perfect thick thighs! But then I realized I may end up disrespecting her body like that and stopped. Then I started thinking about Ann-senpai in her sexy Phantom Thief outfit!"

"Hang on, let him explain himself." Akira put a hand on top of his bag just as Morgana was about to pounce out.

"But then that thought punched me and said to do something else." Issei followed up. "After that, I thought Phantom Thieves but then I wasn't given enough clay. So then Personas came to mind and…" He gestured over towards the Ddraig sculpture still in Rias' grasp.

"…Well, at least it seems that I'm having some kind of an effect on you." Ann leaned back while giving Issei a weird look.

Issei then looked around and realized something. "Oh yeah, that reminds me, Sakura-san is with Futaba. But where are your guys parents?"

"Too busy." Akira answered.

"Mom had work so couldn't come." Ryuji responded.

"Overseas." Ann informed.

"I did not know my father and my mother died when I was young." Yusuke said.

Issei stared at them before looking down in shame. "I feel like such an asshole now…" He mumbled to himself.

Several cheers soon began to enter their ears. Confusion and curiosity eventually got the better of the group and they began to move down the halls. Reaching a flight of stairs, they were unable to move up due to a massive crowd of males blocking their pathway.

"The heck?" Ryuji asked. "What going on around here with this crowd? Some event we don't know about?"

Hearing a sigh come from their sides, they turned their heads to see a familiar Devil shake his head. "Apparently they're taking pics of a magical girl." Saji said in a bit of disapproval while folding his arms. Approaching, he raised his voice. "Hey, hey! You can't have a photo shoot here! You're blocking the way for everyone who wants to pass!"

"…Magical… girl?" Yusuke asked in confusion and curiosity. "As in a young witch?"

"You know, I thought Futaba would have explained something like this to you already." Ryuji commented. "But that first part, beats me." He shrugged his shoulders soon after. "What? Did someone actually dress up and cosplay as one?"

"Break it up, break it up!" Saji continued to command while waving his hands. "It's open house today! Such commotion in the stairwell is unsightly!" Lucky for him, all the students started to disperse which left him the opportunity to lecture the one who was starring in the impromptu photo shoot. "And you. You can't wear that here. Unless… are you a parent or guardian? Even so, that outfit's not exactly appropriate."

"Aww, but this is my uniform." The adult whined.

"…Wait, is that…" Akira started slowly, recognizing that person.

"What going on here?"

Everyone turned around and saw another Devil walking towards them. "Ah, Sitri-san." Akira stated as the girl came over, not affected by the serious tone she threw at them.

"Greetings, Akira-san." Sona gave the common curtesy before seeing the red-head. "Ah, Rias, I found you. Good." She then held out a hand behind her. "I was just giving a tour to Sirzechs-sama and your father."

Sierzechs, the Phantom Thieves were already familiar with. But Rias' father on the other hand was a middle-aged handsome looking man. As it was apparent in the Gremory family, the adult had long crimson red hair tht was tied in a loose pony tail with a black hairband.

Before either of them could speak a word, Sona got right back down to business once more as she walked right up to Saji. "And you, Saji." She sternly began, much to the reincarnated Devil's embarrassment. "I'm always telling you to resolve situations quickly and without incid-"

"Sona-chan! Found you!"

The adult who was dressed up as a magical girl pounced onto the student council president, much to the younger female's dismay. Watching this, everyone was slightly taken aback at the action but Akira was the first to recover. "Hm, so I was right. It was Leviathan-sama." He stated.

"Akira-chan as well!"

"Hrk!"

Akira soon found himself his neck being wrapped into one arm and pull towards Serafall who was holding her sister in her other hand. Unfortunately, whether it was intentional or not, her hold on Akira was incredibly tight.

"Help me!" Morgana cried out from Akira's bag, which was between Akira and Serafall. "I going to be crushed to death!"

"O-onee-sama…" Sona stuttered for a bit. "I'm the student council president here. Family or not, I cannot tolerate this sort of behavior." She had to readjust her glasses after furiously escaping her sister's grasp.

"Come on, Sona-chan! You know your Onee-chan loves magical girls! I'd use my sparkling wand to exterminate the Angel and Fallen Angels for you!" Serafall playfully said while pointing her the wand out on her person while still choking Akira (on accident or purpose however was still unknown).

"…Who here thinks Futaba would be freaking out if she saw this cosplay?" Ann asked, looking around at her fellow Phantom Thieves.

"Nah, I don't think magical girls are her thing." Ryuji answered.

"Have some prudence, Onee-sama." Sona sighed. "A bit of sparkling from you could destroy this small country in minutes." She then pointed. "Also, could you please let Akira-san go? He looks like he's about to suffocate because of you."

Giving her younger sister a confused look, Serafall looked to where the pointing was and saw that Akira was still being choked by her and turning a little blue. "Ah, whoopsies." She released the boy, allowing him to take in a deep breath.

Morgana meanwhile clawed his way out of the bag and gasped for air. "Holy!" He panted, making sure to take in as much oxygen as he could every breath. "I serious thought I was going to die there!" He then looked around to see what was possibly crushing him. His eyes immediately laid upon Serafall. "…And maybe it would have been such a bad thing." The cat then purred before sinking back into the bag in a cute manner.

"Sorry about that, Akira-chan. Sometimes I forget about my own strength." Serafall apologized. But before Akira could say anything as soon as he regained his composure, she was right in front of his face. "Now, about this business of you beating my sister in chess."

"O-onee-sama!" Sona exclaimed in embarrassment immediately sliding in from the side but couldn't intervene.

Leaning back, Akira eventually found out that Serafall wasn't going to give him any room when he couldn't go backwards any further. "…I thought the results of the game were supposed to be between us." Akira stated while making it a bit of a question at the same time and eyeing Sona.

"So you don't deny it!" Serafall exclaimed, causing Akira to snap his head back in her direction. "And you refuse to accept her hand?! What?! Is she not good enough!? No! She's very pretty! She's the cutest, even better than Rias-chan! Sure, Sona-chan doesn't have much of a chest yet, but they'll grow! See mine?! Sona-chan will be like this one day as well!"

"Uuu…"

Everyone looked back to Sona. The younger Sitri had now suddenly broken down. Her usual demeanor, broken. Now she really looked like the average embarrassed high-school girl. "I can't take it anymore!" She cried out, running away.

"Wait, Sona-chan!" Serafall suddenly straightened her back and ran after Sona. "Don't leave you Onee-chan behind!"

"Please don't follow me!" Sona exclaimed while turning a corner.

As Saji chased after the both of them, their outbursts left the group in silence. But after a few seconds, Akira slowly moved towards Ann and handed her his school-bag. "Could you look after Morgana for me quickly?" He asked, getting the female blonde to slowly nod her head after comprehending what the boy had requested her to do.

With a nod of thanks, Akira started jogging in the direction Sona, Serafall, and Saji had gone off to.

"…Anyone want to tell me what the heck just happened?" Ryuji asked. But as he looked around, everyone else was just as speechless. "So, I'm not the only one. That's good… I guess."

Sirzechs however just chuckled. "I've never seen Serafall take a liking to a boy Sona's age so quickly." He mused. "Though I do have to argue that Rias-chan is the better little sister there is."

"Onii-sama…" Rias groaned into her hands.

Her father meanwhile stepped forward. "So, you are the Phantom Thieves. I thought I recognized you all from my daughter's celebration against Riser. My name is Zeoticus Gremory, a pleasure to meet you all." He greeted with a smile.

"Huh? O-oh, the pleasure is ours, sir." Morgana poked his head out again. "But, uh… is Sitri-san going to be okay?"

"Oh, no need to worry." Zeoticus reassured the cat. "While she did act like that, Sona still knows that her sister means well. Though at this rate, I believe your companion will cheer her up as well."

"…Speaking of companions…" Sirzechs decided to take over the conversation. "There is a matter I would like to discuss with you, Rias." The atmosphere immediately went a little heavy when the red-head did not add a cute part to his sister's name. "About your other bishop…"

 **TakeABreak**

Jogging down the halls, Akira rounded a corner and saw that Serafall and Saji were both calling out for Sona.

It was at that moment that he decided to quickly duck into a classroom so that they wouldn't see him. While it was not exactly a necessary action, it was so that he could think and they won't follow him if it came down to that situation.

Sona seemed… all too embarrassed about the situation. While he did know that Sona could display expression as such, there was a bit too much emotion that what he was used to when interacting with her. He sort of knew why he even ran after her. But what to do if he would find her though… he didn't know what to do.

But he had to think of something fast because Sona was in that exact empty classroom.

The girl had her head buried in her arms and was sitting against the wall. Within seconds however, she looked up and was shocked at Akira's appearance. Just as she had opened her mouth, Akira quickly put a finger against his lips to indicate that they needed to be quiet.

Peeking out of the door, he saw Serafall and Saji both turn a corner. "…Um…" Akira began as he closed the door.

Sona immediately covered her face and brought her legs up.

Going quiet, Akira slowly walked up to the girl and stood in front of her. Just watching her stay curled up for about a minute, he immediately turned around. Shuffling around so he would end up next to her, Akira dropped down so he would be sitting on the floor as well.

"…It's okay, Akira-san…" Sona had her face turning away from the boy so he wouldn't see her cheeks that were flushed red. "It's just Onee-sama being Onee-sama…" She continued. "Just give me some time and things will pass." But when Akira didn't move, Soan settled for tilting her head just so that she could see him out of the corner of her eye. "…Seriously, Akira-san, I'm fine…"

While Akira did stare straight forward, she knew that he too was looking out of the corner of his eye. "Then I'll wait until you're better."

She didn't show it physically, but Sona was taken aback by his answer. Turning her head away, she blushed in embarrassment. To her she was unsure why, yet she felt like she knew the answer. "…You know… this is the first time Onee-sama has ever liked a boy my age…"

"Huh… lucky me I guess…"

The two of them then continued to sit in content silence.

 **TakeABreak**

"In this room, lies my other bishop."

Rias made this statement as they were back in the old school building. Standing in front of a door, it proved to be slightly ominous but not too bad. The yellow caution tape with the words KEEP OUT printed on sort of took away from the spookiness.

All of the Phantom Thieves but Akira, Makoto, and Haru were present. The entirety of Rias' Peerage also accompanied her. Even the new addition to the Peerage, Xenovia, was there as well. Unfortunately, no Irina.

The exorcists was absolutely shocked at Xenovia's decision to become a Devil. Even when the blue-haired girl tried to explain her reasoning, Irina still was upset. While they still managed to retain their friendship, their relationship in general was still very awkward.

"Your other bishop?" Xenovia asked, putting a hand to her chin. "Why would they be holed up in here?"

"I was told that neither I nor they could fully control their power yet, so they've been sealed in here." Rias explained. "Apparently, we proved out worth during the Kokabiel incident, so I've been permitted to remove the seal."

"Yeesh," Issei commented. "Must be pretty terrifying if they have to be locked in here…"

"It's more like they're been living here." Rias continued. "My bishop was given the option to be unsealed late at night and roam freely around the old school building but refused."

"A real shut-in, huh?" The male brunette questioned with a nervous chuckle.

"Right, here we go…" Rias put her hand against the door. As soon as she made contact, a bright light with several runes showed up and slowly began to undo themselves. When the magic disappeared from their eyes, she tored the caution tape apart. "I'm opening the door now."

"Noooooooooo!"

A shriek escaped from the open doors and made everybody but Rias, Akeno, Kiba, Koneko, and even Xenovia jump. Creaking the door open, Rias sighed. "Hello. Good to see you're full of energy." She stated.

"Wh-why-why are you here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Akeno asked. "The seal's been undone. You can leave now. How about you come with us?"

"Nooooo! I want to stay here! Don't want to go out! I don't like people!"

Staring into the dark room, Futaba whipped her head around a couple of times which attracted the attention of her friends. "…Was I this bad last year?" She asked.

"…Honestly, that's kind of up to debate." Ryuji answered.

Ann punched Ryuji's back immediately after.

Shuffling inside, everyone in their vision was a single person cowering on the farther end of the room. That person had platinum blonde hair and pinkish-violet eyes. Their hair was styled in a short bob cut with several small fringes over their forehead and had pointed ears. The clothing they wore was just the school-uniform for the female gender.

"Awesome! It's a blonde, foreign girl!" Issei suddenly cheered while Asia looked in awe. "Now we got an awesome duo going on for our bishops!"

"No, that's a guy."

Hearing Futaba's comment, most of the group turned their heads over to the ginger. Issei laughed. "Come on, Futaba-san, that's totally a chick. Right, Buchou?" His question didn't receive and answer. "…This is where you say I'm right, Buchou…"

"She's actually a he?!" Ryuji questioned. "For real?!"

"Eek!" The person at the end of the hall screeched. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Futaba-san is correct." Rias had to confirm. "Gasper is biologically a boy. He just likes crossdressing."

Yusuke turned his head over to Futaba. "How exactly did you figure this out so quickly?"

Futaba shrugged her shoulders. "You'd be surprised what you can discover when you let your fingers just walk you through the internet." She then looked like she remembered something. "You guys want to see America's invasion plan for Iran later?"

"…Maybe some other time." Morgana stated. "Right now, I think we need to stop Issei from blowing himself to Iran."

"You've got to be joking! Seriously!" Issei came storming up right towards Gasper and grabbed his arm while pointing. "How can someone this cute looking be a guy?!"

Suddenly, there was a wave of purple light that erupted from Gasper. As the strange light washed through the room, all the Devils but Issei were sudden stopped moving. At first, no one noticed. But as a moment passed, many of them realized that things were a little too quiet.

"Wait, the hell just happened?!" Ryuji questioned, looking around. Walking up towards Rias, he waved a hand in front of her face. "Hello? Gremory-san?" But he got no reaction. "It's like she's frozen."

"Himejima-san too!" Ann stated with surprise.

"Even Koneko-chan!" Futaba added.

Issei immediately looked back at Gasper. "What the heck did you just do?!"

But Gasper was shocked as well. It was for something else, however. "You-you all are still moving… Even though my Sacred Gear stops time…"

"Stops time?" Yusuke asked, pacing around the room to try and get a better view of the situation. "There's a Scared Gear that can do such a thing?"

"Forget that, why the heck aren't we affected?" Ryuji asked.

Meanwhile Issei let go of Gasper. But as soon as he did, he shivered a bit. "Hey, Senpais…" He began, grabbing the Phantom Thieves' attention. "Do you guys feel that? It's like I'm getting goosebumps all of a sudden just by being in this time freeze weirdness."

"Sorry…" Gasper apologized from the side.

Each of the Phantom Thieves looked at each other. "…Now that you mention it," Morgana slowly said while narrowing his eyes. "There is something weird. It's kind of like we're out of place… Sort of like when we were back in the Metaverse…"

 **Well, after a couple of months, here we go. Some kind of small reveal at the end… Screw it. Foreshadowing. It's some kind of fucked up foreshadowing that may or may not make sense if I ever get to the part explaining why it is.**

 **Also, phew, just made it to 1,000 follows! My first story to get that many. Thank you all for taking interest in this fic. I know it's not the best, but thank you for the support either way.**

 **No flames please.**


	29. Chapter 29

**This is a fanfic. BUY THE FUCKING MERCHANDISE!**

"Mmm! I know that I've said it before, but I have to say it again! You're cooking is the best, Sakura-san!"

Irina made sure that her opinion was vocal enough after she had finished her meal of curry. It was quite the display, watching the girl almost seem to just suck it all down like a vacuum cleaner. Despite her attempt to seem polite, she ate her food at an incredible pace.

"…Err… thanks again anyways." Sojiro answered, not exactly sure how to respond to the event that had happened. Holding up his own spoon, he was in mid scoop when Irina had finished her first plate when he wasn't even halfway done his own portion. He was surprised, that was to say the least. "It's good to hear you like it. There's a lot more if you like, help yourself."

Not needing to be told twice, Irina was about to get onto her feet before Xenovia was up first. "Let me get it for you." The blue-haired female offered, reaching her free hand out in the exorcist's direction. "I'm going to go grab some more for myself anyways."

"Ah, that's okay! Thank you for the offer though!" It was a quick trip from the table, to the pot, to the dining room again for Irina, leaving Xenovia partially stunned. But the former-exorcist eventually walked towards the kitchen herself. Humming a tune to herself, Irina gave grace (forgetting that she was giving headaches to Xenovia and Asia) once again before digging in. She released another moan after taking in a spoonful of food.

Hearing the sound of shattering away from the dining room, many heads turned in that direction. "…You guys keep eating." Sojiro said, getting off his seat. "I'm going to go check up on your friend, see if she injured herself."

"…Is this what I'm like when it comes down to cakes and other desserts?" Ann slowly asked, the question almost coming out of nowhere as Sojiro walked off. "I mean, I understand that people have passions for food. But this…" She trailed off, hoping that everyone was understanding that she was verbally gesturing to Irina without ill intention.

"You…" Makoto dragged out the word slowly to think about what to say next. "Are certainly affectionate with them." Her attempted answer only brought out a groan of embarrassment from the female blonde as the Ann looked away sheepishly.

"I don't think it's so bad." Asia tried to comfort the pig-tailed female by patting on her shoulder. She smiled gently to ease her friend. "I believe everyone acts differently when people or objects that they love are involved."

"Yeah, it's not really something to beat yourself on the head over." Ryuji added, sipping his glass of water before putting it down. Wiping his mouth with his arm, he grabbed his spoon and pointed it in Ann's direction. "Look at me and meat for example." Gesturing with his free hand using his thumb, he put the limb down and scooped up some rice and curry.

"Desserts and candies are natural. Meat on the other hand… I've never heard of something like that before." Futaba muttered to herself, wondering why that could be the case.

About to put a spoonful of food into her mouth, Haru saw that someone was a lot more silent than usual. Turning her head over, she decided to ask the person in question. "Akira-kun," She named out the one who concerned her, grabbing his attention. "Is everything okay? You've been very quiet since arriving back."

"…" Akira breathed, looking at Haru. His eyes then drifted over towards Morgana before standing up and grabbing everyone's attention. "Phantom Thieves," He began, his voice being a bit low which created a bit of a serious atmosphere. "When you're finished dinner, my room." Without another word, he grabbed his clean plate to put it into the sink with Morgana following behind.

Slipping past Sojiro and Xenovia, the two of them were the first to arrive to the destination. Sitting themselves down, all of the Persona users began to eventually began to arrive. Each of them picked their own spots and sat down.

"Akira, we usually meet up in the living room whenever we need to talk about something." Makoto stated. "Why would you want us to instead come here? Is it an issue that we don't want Irina-san, Xenovia-san, or Sakura-san to listen in on?"

"Yes." Akira answered curtly, surprising the brunette. "Morgana," He then eyed the cat who looked at him. "If you would."

"Yeah." Morgana nodded his head, leaping up towards the desk Akira sat next to. Sitting himself down, he made sure everyone was paying attention. "During school time, Ryuji, Lady Ann, Yusuke, Futaba and I all met Gremory-san's second Bishop." Makoto and Haru wanted to ask about that but didn't since the cat seemed to be rather serious. "Shortly after meeting him, we discovered that he could stop time."

"Stop time?" Makoto parroted with surprise. "Even if it's due to the power of a Sacred Gear, that is crazy!"

"Agreed, but that's not the craziest part about it." Morgana nodded his head. "When his power was activated, only the Persona users in the room were not affected by its powers. This was including Issei. What made this crazy… was that it felt like we were back in the Metaverse."

That last word of the sentence was what caused both college members to drop their jaws in stupor. "…What?!" Haru could only gasp after being speechless for some time.

"Yup, our reactions as well." Ryuji nodded his head. "We thought that he had the power that actually make some kind of Metaverse field effect.

"Thankfully, this was not the case." Yusuke continued for the male blonde. "But that did not consider the fact that most of everyone around us froze in place. Also, the Metaverse does not freeze non-Persona users in place." The boy turned towards the navigator. "Am I explaining this correctly?"

"More or less." Futaba answered.

"…So, which is it?" Yusuke asked after a blink of the eyes. "More or less?

"Okay…" Haru slowly answered, allowing everyone else to know that she understood what Ryuji was talking about as Makoto nodded her head. "So, it really is not a Metaverse field. But if that's the case, why are we holding this meeting?"

"Because this brings up a concern with our Personas." Akira stated, hunched over a bit with fingers wrapped over each other and elbows resting on knees. "Originally, we were living through the latest events believing that us being exposed to the supernatural was what caused us to gain our Personas back. But," He eyed those that met with Gasper. "With this new discovery, I'm afraid that we shouldn't consider that the case anymore."

Everyone in the room fell silent at Akira's reveal. He didn't explain his entire theory, they could tell, but it was only that part he stated was still stayed in their brains. Looking at each other with uncertainty, no one spoke for a few seconds.

"But… how do you come down to something like that?" Ann asked the black-haired teenager. "From all we know, maybe it's just that Persona-users are unaffected by Gasper-san's Sacred Gear?"

"And why would that be the case then?" Akira asked back to Ann, getting no reply from the girl. Sighing, he leaned back this time. Sliding a bit forward, he allowed his back to rest on the chair. "From what I can understand, that Metaverse feeling you all had when in that Sacred Gear's area of affect because of an actual Metaverse energy. What I theorize is that since the Metaverse is based on the cognitive world – a different reality – that time trick won't work due to it only affecting the reality or world the user is in. Since we are in this world, but you weren't frozen in time, you all were able to feel the change in the atmosphere."

"So basically, since our power is somehow being drawn or is a part of the Metaverse, Gasper-san's Sacred Gear would only work on us if he were in there. A power that had managed to spread to Issei." If Morgana could frown in his feline form, he would be doing it at that very moment. "That shouldn't be possible though. While the cognitive world still exists technically, no one should be able to have access to it since the Metaverse app is gone."

"Which comes down to this question." Akira stated. "Everything related from our Personas to the Metaverse since it all started here in Kuoh… How is it possible?"

 **TakeABreak**

No one could come up with an answer that night.

Even though Akira eventually said that they should drop the subject in favor of school exams coming up. Which everyone did, but the questions still stirred in the corners of their brains. The Phantom Thieves didn't good a good night's rest, but it was more than enough to help them get through the day. The exorcist and two Devils that lived with them asked if they were okay during breakfast, which was answered as that they were doing well enough.

At Kuoh Academy, the day pretty much went down as usual. Their surroundings were quiet now that open classes were over. Plus, the school felt less crowded as well. At least this provided more space for people to move around. The morning was the same that all of the Phantom Thieves that were a part of the high-school area.

But lunch was a little different for one of them.

Akira was on his usual route to the Student Council Room. Once more, he had left Morgana with the others since the cat didn't really want to be bored with watching a game of chess. Reaching the door to the room, he had reached for the knob when the wooden barrier was suddenly opened.

Sona was slightly startled at the sight of the black-haired boy being right in front of her. Both stared at each other for a few seconds in silence before looking down. Akira's arm was still extended from trying to grab the door knob, almost touching Sona. The boy then brought his hand down to his side.

"Hello, Sitri-san." Akira was the first to break the silence with his greeting while he nodded his head. Putting his hands behind his back, he tilted his head slightly. "Are you feeling better?"

Sona blinked a couple of times before realizing that Akira was waiting for her to answer. "Oh! Y-yes, I am, thank you for asking." She coughed a couple of times into her hand. They then just continued to stand at the door silently.

"…" Akira inhaled, eyeing the girl curiously. He began rocking back and forth on his feet. "So… are you going to have to cancel our game of chess?" His question caused the girl to look directly towards his eyes with a bit of surprise. "You opened the door just when I was about to, instead of being in the room and setting up the game."

Sona continued to stare at the male with wide eyes. Shaking her head, the black-haired female got her thoughts back together. "About that…" She re-adjusted her glasses as they were slightly crooked. "I was thinking that we could have our game somewhere outside due to the nice weather."

This suggestion caused the boy to think. Yes, the weather was good right now. But it had been like that for the past couple of weeks. It was the season of summer after all. Why would Sona suggest something like that now?

"…Yeah, it does sound like a good idea." Akira agreed, eventually nodding his head. Side-stepping, he gestured with his hand towards the hallway area from which he came from. "Lead the way." He said since he assumed that Sona already had a spot in mind.

The student-council president nodded her head in response and began walking with the boy trailing after her closely. But less than a minute passed and Akira found himself a bit surprised at the direction Sona was taking.

Just as she was halfway up a flight of stairs, she saw the expression the boy wore. "Yes, I know that the rules say that no students are allowed up on the roofs of the school building." Sona clarified for her fellow teenager. "But… you are someone who doesn't exactly follow the rules, are you?" It was almost as if she were challenging him.

She knew what words to use. Akira shrugged his shoulders and followed Sona up the flight of stairs and towards a door at the top of them. When Sona pushed the metal barrier open, a gust of warm air immediately entered the building. Akira was quick to close it after Sona had taken her steps outside.

Walking out towards the large spacing, Akira grabbed a desk that just so happened to be sitting on the roof that was surrounded by a few chairs. Since it looked clean, it was the perfect surface to use for their game. Bringing it over towards a shady area so the hot sun wouldn't be too bad, he went back to grab the chairs while Sona set up their game.

Before she could finish the board, the boy had come back with both chairs. Setting one down, he moved towards Sona for the second seat. Holding it, he was careful when pushing the object in so that Sona didn't have to move her feet to position herself properly since Akira was doing it for her.

When Akira walked to his chair, he instead had his attention to his school bag. With sound of a zipper moving, the boy began rummaging through the contents until he fished out a book. Looking down at the object, he nodded his head in satisfaction.

"Before we begin, I would like to give this to you." Akira offered, holding out the book for Sona to take. Once again, the black-haired Devil was surprised at the human. Reaching over, Sona delicately took the object from Akira's hand and stared at it. "You seemed rather a little uneasy yesterday. So I decided to take a book out of my collection to lend to you. Read it, it should be able to help you relax if you are still tense. If not, give it a read anyways. I believe it is quite enjoyable. Also, consider it a bit of an extra apology since technically I'm the reason why you felt how you did."

"…Thank you." Sona nodded her head slowly, almost being at a loss of words. Putting the book back into her bag, the two of them began their game.

Although for most of the time, Sona kept an eye on the human more than her pieces.

 **TakeABreak**

After class, it was originally meant for Akira, Makoto, and Haru to meet Rias' first Bishop.

Unfortunately, Akira had work, so he had to leave early without even being able to interact with any of the Devils. So, the Phantom Thieves without their leader met up at a point that was between the Occult Research club building and the college grounds before walking back to the former building.

"I'm sort of curious to meet this Gasper-san character." Makoto admitted as they were walking through the forest area of the school. The shade was a nice cover against the sun that shined heat against them. "He's Gremory-san's first Bishop, so I wonder what he had to do in order to gain her attention."

"Yes! Run, run! A sound mind starts with a sound body!"

"Eeeek!"

"…Gasper-kun, garlic will help you grow up big and strong."

"Nooooo! Koneko-chan's bullying me as well!"

Walking in on the scene, not one of the many humans had anything to say about the scene that there were witnessing at the very moment. In front of the building, a blonde male wearing the female school uniform was being chased by Xenovia and Koneko. The former-exorcist had Durandal resting on her shoulder while the smaller female had cloves of garlic on rope in her hands.

"…I thought you said that Gasper-kun was male." Haru was the first to speak, looking over towards the high-schoolers in confusion. "So why are Xenovia-chan and Koneko-chan both chasing that girl?"

Before anyone could answer, a voice interrupted them. "Oh hey, Senpais, Futaba, you're all here." Turning their heads, they saw that Issei was approaching them with Asia next to him. "You guys introducing Makoto-senpai and Haru-senpai to Gasper?"

"Yup." Ryuji nodded his head.

"Um, I-kun," Haru spoke out, grabbing the attention once again. "Gasper-kun is male, correct?" She asked once again but at least with the new brunette and blonde present. "So why are they wearing the female uniform instead?"

"Oh, that." Issei answered, a bit monotonous to the two college students' surprise. "That's because he's a crossdresser."

Makoto stared with surprise. "You're not kidding, are you?"

"Unfortunately, no." Issei sighed with a bit of disappointment.

"So what the heck are you guys doing out here?" Ryuji asked with a weird look on his face, just continuing Gasper to cry while being chased around. "I mean, the guy doesn't really look like he's enjoying himself. Xenovia and Koneko aren't really that mean… are they? Gasper does seem to be the kind of guy that doesn't like getting out."

"He's a vampire and stuff, so kind of a given" Futaba sort of frowned after her drawled out word, however. "But still, kind of a mean thing to do to Gasper-chan. I mean, you guys didn't exactly go out of your ways to force me to go outside. Baby steps, you know?"

"Um, that's actually not really the case with Gasper-san." Asia raised her hand to get a bit of attention from them all. "He's actually a special type of vampire called a Daywalker, his father being that while his mom is human. Even though he doesn't like it, Gasper-san is able to move in the sun. Since he's only half-vampire, he even isn't too reliant on blood, even though he hates that as well."

"A vampire who hates blood…" Ann said slowly. "What are the odds?"

"Weird stuff, I know." Issei nodded his head in agreement. "But as for Ryuji-senpai's question, we're currently trying to train him to be able to use his Sacred Gear better. But Xenovia-san began chasing him around and then Koneko-chan joined in. That's when you guys showed up." Folding his arms, he then leaned in and spoke in a bit of a low voice. "So… you guys have any idea on what was up with us being able to move around during that time stopping stuff?"

A bit of a distasteful look grew on each of the humans' faces. "We… have an idea." A frowning Yusuke supplied for the brunette Devil. "But it's just something that we find very crazy."

"Is Akira-san around?"

A voice interrupted that possible explanation that was about to be given. Other than those in action, everyone else looked over to see who had been the one to enter the conversation. Approaching them, Sona Sitri moved in their direction with her school bag over her shoulder but carrying a book in her hands. Issei and Asia meanwhile had to chase Xenovia and Koneko when they both ran into the building after Gasper.

"Oh, hello, Sitri-san." Haru greeted with a waved of her hand as everyone else greeted her in their own ways. "Unfortunately, Akira-kun has work today so he had to leave as soon as school had finished."

"…I see…" Sona said quietly to herself, but everyone just managed to hear her. No one let that sentence bother them. "In that case, could you give this back to him?" She asked, handing over the book that was in her hands.

Makoto reached over and took the object. But not before raising an eyebrow. "Dvoretsky's Analytical Manual?" She read the title aloud in a bit of confusion.

"Akira-san said that he was lending me that book from his collection in order to help me relax." The black-haired Devil folded her finger together while tilting her head down a bit. "He said that it was also a way of apologizing at the same time. That last part is completely unnecessary, however. While the gesture is… nice, it was not needed. I've managed to calm myself down last night anyways."

"…Akira said that this was in his collection?" Makoto asked.

Sona nodded her head. But she quickly checked her watch. "Sorry for cutting our conversation short, but I have somewhere else to be. See you tomorrow." Nodding her head, she turned around and walked off.

"…You seem awfully interested with that book being in Akira's collection." Yusuke noted towards Makoto as everyone seemed to lean in a bit to get a better look at the piece of literature. "Is there something on your mind that we should be aware over?"

"Come on, Gasper, open up! I promise that Xenovia-san and Koneko-chan will stop chasing you! We can even get some proper training in and it won't be so bad!"

"No! I don't want to! This dumb Sacred Gear ruins everything!"

"That's the point of the training! To help you get better at using it"

"…I'm beginning to think that Gasper-san just wants to be left alone for the moment." Makoto stated after a moment of silence with a bit of a frown. None of them really wanted to leave the Devils alone. However, it seemed to be that Gasper was against the training now. "Perhaps we can get better acquainted with him tomorrow."

Very hesitantly and begrudgingly, all the Phantom Thieves slowly walked away. Futaba however, not because she was the shortest out of all of them, lagged by a few steps. "Actually, you guys can go on ahead." She spoke out, causing the humans to turn to her. "I just need to check up on something."

The older teenagers looked amongst one another, not exactly sure how to respond. After a couple of moments however, each of them nodded their head in acknowledgement. Each of the humans then turned back around and proceeded to their own destinations in mind.

As Futaba approached the old school building, she slipped on through the doors and walked through the hallways quietly. Making her way towards the room where Gasper had been before being unsealed, Futaba saw that all of the Devils trying to help the half-vampire out were all outside of the door.

"Hey…" Futaba said as she approached, getting the attention for the moment. "You guys need any help with anything?"

"…Gasper-kun is being stubborn." Koneko stated while pointing with a finger towards the door. "I-cchi isn't doing much of a good job convincing him to come out."

"Please, man, come out." Issei ignored the comment from the white-haired girl however in favor of trying to convince the half-vampire.

"No!" Gasper cried out. "If I come out, I possibly freeze everyone else! Even if you are not affected, it doesn't change the fact that everyone else does! It's scary seeing everyone just frozen. If I don't look at you guys, I can at least talk to you like this! Just leave me alone already!"

"…" Issei sighed quietly, placing his head against his hand which was on the door.

"…" All of the Devils looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

"…" Futaba looked down, being a lot quieter than the others. "…If you don't mind, I might be able to help you guys out…" The ginger informed them softly. "But I'm going to need you all to go away… Preferably far enough so that you can't hear the two of us." Those surrounding her gave her surprised looks at her request. But when they opened their mouths, she cut them off. "Please… for the both of us?"

Each of the Devils were very hesitant over her request. Turning their heads towards the door, each of them silently thought of what to do next. Issei was the first to crack. "…Alright." He nodded his head and walked off. Asia was the next to follow. Xenovia was third.

Koneko however stayed in her spot, a small frown creeping onto her lips. "…Futaba…" She mumbled, hesitant on leaving. To the smaller girl, there was just something in the hacker's eyes that made the Devil want to stay around.

Futaba offered a small smile. "Don't worry, Koneko-chan, it'll be fine." She reassured her friend. Eventually, Koneko turned around and walked away. Taking in a deep breath, Futaba walked forward and turned around when she was close to the door. Dropping down onto her bottom, she rested her back against the wood. "…Gasper-san… it's Futaba Sakura. Remember me from yesterday?" She began. "None of the others are around. It's just you and me… Would it be okay if we talk?"

No answer at first. But Futaba stayed seated. After a few seconds, a quiet reply came. "S-sakura-san? …I remember you. You're one of the humans that was unaffected by my Sacred Gear." He then paused for a moment. "You're not here to make me come out, are you?"

"…Nah, that enough fresh air for you for today." Futaba waved her hand around as if the blonde boy could actually see it. "I was just kind of wondering. If you've been sealed up in your room for a long time, what do you do to occupy your time? Kind of boring if there's nothing to do, yeah?"

Futaba was met with silence. But she stayed patient, as she knew she had to try and approach the situation carefully. "…I-I perform all of my contracts online using my laptop." Gasper answered eventually. "But I usually play games on it as well."

"Oh?" Futaba asked curiously, a bit eager as well. "You a gamer as well? What kind of stuff do you play then?"

Gasper seemed to be a bit startled. "We-well…"

 **TakeABreak**

Laughter was filling Gasper's room as the boy and Futaba were both sitting in front of a laptop screen with two arcade sticks set up. Colorful character designs and engaging music both were erupting from the electronic. A few bags of snacks were scattered around the two of them, some already empty with some bottles filled with various drinks accompanying the scene.

"That's amazing, Sakura-san!" Gasper complimented in awe. "How were you able to figure out so many combos? This game hasn't even been out for a week!"

Futaba chuckled while scratching the back of her head. "I kind of had a lonely childhood, so video games were one of the things that pretty much took up most of my time." She reached over to nibble on a couple of chips. "Back then, people in general were really scary."

At those words, Gasper's gaze fell to the floor. "…I can kind of relate to that…" He said quietly.

Blinking, Futaba slightly twisted her head to the side so that she could see Gasper out of the corner of her eye. But she didn't say anything. The girl could perhaps ask a question if she wanted, but it would probably feel as if she would be initiating something and that's not how things should be with Gasper. At least, not now.

"We-well… about the lonely and not going out parts." The blonde boy corrected himself. "As well as the people being scary stuff." After that, he stopped talking, as if he had just made the scene between the two of them awkward.

As they both sat quietly, Futaba decided to initiate some louder noise between them by changing to the character select screen of their game. It was a quick process of choosing who they wanted to play and everything required before the action would begin. But as soon as they began moving their sticks around while pressing buttons…

"Gasper-san…" Futaba said as they continued through the round. "It's not just people that you find scary, but also your Sacred Gear, right?" The question was unspoken for, yet Futaba knew the answer. "Did it cause problems for you as a kid?"

"…Yeah." Gasper nodded his head. "People feared me, leaving me alone. It didn't help either that I'm a half-breed, my mom being human."

Futaba scratched her head, wondering how she should proceed with this. "You know, people were sort of scared of me too in a way. When I was a kid, I was bullied a lot just because I got better grades than them. I did have a friend as well, but she stopped talking to me when I discovered something about her I shouldn't have… But everyone started becoming really bad when mom died and everyone blamed me for her death."

Gasper snapped his head towards her in horror. "Y-you're mom died?" He gasped. Stammering, he tried to figure out the correct thing to say. "I-uh-um… I'm sorry to hear that." He eventually managed to get out. "But… why did people blame you?"

"Despite something happening to her, the employees at her workplace forged a suicide note making it sound as if her death was my fault." Futaba slowly answered. "For a while… I believed it. It didn't really help that I was tossed from relative to relative who didn't even care about me."

The blonde couldn't help but stare. Slowly, he put his arcade stick to the floor. "…Why…" He whispered. "…Why are you telling me all of this? You didn't have to say any of that and yet…" His wide eyes almost shined due to tears building up.

"…Because I may not know what you had to go through… But I know how you feel…" Futaba tenderly reached over. Her hand hovered over his shoulder. After a few seconds of internal debate, she eventually settled to resting the palm against the curve which startled the boy. "I prefer not to go into detail… but it's a bunch of bad stuff that nobody should go through…"

"…" Gasper didn't know what to say at first, his jaw just slightly open as he tried to figure out the words to speak. "But… how?" He asked. "How are you still able to…"

"Well, in truth, it's really become a bit of a minor inconvenience now." Futaba said. "But that's all thanks to hard work and my friends. Even though I was resistant, they kept on doing their best to try and help me while making sure I was comfortable all the way. It's all about doing your best and keep on pressing on. Yeah, all that stuff in the past happened. But that's why you got to try to work hard, so that you don't have to feel the same way ever again."

Looking around, the blonde boy didn't exactly know where to look. "Ah… Err… Well… It's… it's going to be really hard for me…" Gasper did his best to figure out what to say. "But… I think I can do it. I'll work hard so I won't feel so helpless!"

At Gasper's new conviction, Futaba let loose a small smile. "Awesome!" She cheered, startling him. "Now we should come up with a list!"

Gasper blinked. "A… list?" He asked in confusion.

"Mmm!" Futaba nodded her head. "You know those games where if you play or work hard enough, it rewards you with an item of sorts? Well, it's kind of like this!" She excitedly explained. "We'll set goals that you can try to achieve. When you complete each task, we can set you up with a reward of sorts! It's what I did, and it was awesome!" Quickly reaching into her bag, she pulled out her notebook and a pencil. "Now, what do you have in mind?"

Gasper stared at the girl's sudden burst of energy with shock.

 **TakeABreak**

Closing the door behind him, Akira made sure that to take off his shoes before walking through the large home.

His hours at the café honestly weren't that bad. It was a typical working day. Just cook, clean, and help feed the cats. But now that he was off, he had to focus on studying for exams. Thankfully, to help keep him on track were the other humans that were his age and were a part of the Phantom Thieves.

Arriving to his room, he put his bag down which allowed Morgana to crawl out and do whatever the cat wanted to do. Unpacking his belongings, Akira grabbed the necessary items and began to approach another room where he knew the others were already studying.

Opening the door, he was greeted to the sight of Ryuji, Ann, and Yusuke all sitting down with books open in front of one another. At first, they had neutral looks anyone would have going throughout one's day. But as soon as their eyes fell upon Akira, both blondes of the group almost look like they were extremely amused by something.

Those eyes caused the black-haired male to stand still at the doorway for a couple of seconds. "…Hello." He said slowly, wondering what the attention was all about.

"Hey." Ryuji and Ann both greeted at the same time.

"Hello." Yusuke nodded his head.

Approaching the table, Akira sat down and opened the binder he owned and sifted through his notes taken in class. But a few seconds passed by before he noticed something. None of the others in the room had looked back down to their writing. Instead, they chose to just keep their eyes on him.

"So, how was lunch with Sitri-san?" Ann asked innocently yet it sounded like she was asking this on purpose.

Akira raised an eyebrow. "…It was nice." He answered, wondering why such a question was even asked in the first place. None of them had ever pressed him about his lunches with Sona, so what changed that?

Ryuji almost had a smug look on his face. "You know, you could have told us that you like her."

That caused Akira to look up from his work towards the blonde-male. "I beg your pardon?" He asked.

"You like her." Yusuke supplied from the side. A simple yet heavy sentence at the same time.

Akira's eyes darted towards the blue-haired boy. "…Yes, I like Sitri-san. She's a very hard worker and is concerned with many people which is why she is the student-council president." Akira shrugged his shoulders as if it were nothing.

"And pretty." Ann grinned.

To that, Akira turned over to Ann. "What are you getting at?" He asked.

"You like her as in like like." Ann emphasized on the first like, teasing the leader of the Phantom Thieves.

"You're suggesting a romantic interest." Akira guessed while folding his arms and leaning back in his chair. "May I point out that you are making a statement without any form of way to support your claims?" His lips twitched, but Akira barely looked like he was triumphant.

That look fell when Yusuke reached into his bag and pulled out a book. More specifically, the one that Sona had handed to them in the afternoon. "This is the book you gave her. She wanted us to give it back to you."

Seeing the student-artist hand over the item, Akira took it from his hands. But then the boy saw the blondes both seeming rather smug once again as they stared at him. "…" He looked over to Yusuke who also seemed rather amused. "…So?" His question sounded like it came from a defensive child, hiding the book in his bag.

"So?" Ryuji asked back. "Makoto said that she's taken a look at your collection. While you had a decent amount, how many book on chess? Zero." He pointed to Akira's bag. "You totally bought that for her."

"Bought it to lend it." Akira defended himself.

"Right." Ann sarcastically answered while smiling. Akira then, of all the expressions he could make, pouted and looked back down towards his notes. "Oh, come on! Why are you being so childish about this?"

"Oh, I'm being childish?" Akira put a hand to his chest while looking up.

"Aw, come on, man." Ryuji continued to tease. "It's pretty cool that you really like her."

"Stop using that word." Akira did his best to put an end to the conversation. That's when the doorbell rang. As all of the occupants turned their heads in the direction of the noise, Akira was the first to look back. "Do you mind?" He asked, pointing in the direction he was planning to go towards regardless of their answer.

"Not at all." Ann, Ryuji, and Yusuke all answered at the same time, each of them with small smiles on their faces.

Giving them all a weird look, Akira then got up off his seat and headed towards the door. Making his way through the halls, his trip led him to end up right behind Sojiro who was one his way to the door. The older man saw the boy and pointed to the wooden barrier.

"Were you expecting someone?" Sojiro asked, causing Akira to shake his head in denial.

As the boy approached the door, he peeked through the hole that was provided. Eyeing who was at the front, Akira stepped to the sides. Unlocking the bolt of the door, he then swung the wooden slab open.

Standing in front of his was a handsome-looking man with long blonde hair and green eyes. He wore a red robe with a gold cross on the front of his white alb. He had on shoulder plates with a white sash and a golden halo set above his head.

"Hello," The man smiled politely. "My name is Michael, current leader of the Angels." Along with the greeting, he bowed slightly. "You must be Akira Kurusu, leader of the Phantom Thieves. Azazel has told quite a bit about you. Would it be okay if I come in a speak to you?"

Akira stared and blinked. "…This look is so much better than orange skin and roman-looking counterpart."

"…I beg your pardon?"

"Sorry, just talking to myself."

 **DIDJA MISS ME, YA WANKERS!? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

 **But on a serious note though, there were a few things that took up my time. First of all, life. So don't just assume that this is abandoned just because I can't service your want of posting another chapter. Second, fiber glass is a jerk. Be careful when working around it. Third, that Gasper and Futaba scene was extremely agonizing to write. It's not the greatest, but I finally found a result that I'm happy with.**

 **So... about that Metaverse part. Too many fics have constantly done the "too powerful to be affected by Gasper's Sacred Gear" trope. So what's wrong with trying to put a twist on it so our Persona users are unaffected by it?**

 **No flames please.**


	30. Chapter 30

**This is a fanfic. BUY THE FUCKING MERCHANDISE!**

So Fallen Angels… Devils… exorcists… and now finally Angels…

In Akira's opinion, it was kind of strange that Angels were the fourth supernatural part of the three factions he was meeting with. Honestly, he at least thought that they would be the third one to see.

But that didn't matter now as the great archangel Michael was now sitting across from him while sipping from a cup of coffee that Sojiro provided. It was a sight that Akira never thought that he would even utter to himself nor did he ever think of seeing. It was… unsurprisingly a lot less exciting that mentioned.

Well, at least this Michael was better looking than the Persona version. The centurion-like look was an interesting touch, but was incredibly odd when one threw on orange-tan skin as well as slicked back black-blue hair kind of ruined the look… At least in his opinion anyways. This blonde haired, gold armor appearance had a much better ring to it as well as an appropriate look for an Angel.

Now that Akira thought about it… "How exactly did you know that we live here?" He had to ask the Angel while tilting his head. "I don't recall Xenovia-san or Irina-san saying anything of where they were staying. Just that the heiress to both the Gremory and Sitri clans were granting them shelter."

Michael finished taking a small sip before putting the cup down on the small saucer. "You're correct. When told that two wielders of the Excalibur fragments did not return, such words caused a small outrage amongst the Church. We in Heaven however had a feeling as to why they chose not to return." His head dipped down a bit when speaking.

The black-haired boy folded his arms. "Okay…" He nodded his head slightly. "But that still doesn't answer my question." Akira pointed out. "How did you find this place as well as know that the Phantom Thieves were specifically there?"

"To make a long story short," Michael raised a hand to point a single finger up. "Azazel told me."

Blinking, Akira had to take a bit of time to process the statement that had been given forward. "…Azazel-san…" Akira parroted back, allowing Michael to nod back in response. "…Azazel-san… as in one of the leaders of the Fallen Angel faction?" Another nod came his way. That caused Akira's eyes to widen a bit with surprise. "I mean, I sort of get that leaders of different factions don't fight with the possible risk of way, but he's a Fallen Angel. What would he have to talk to you about? The only worthwhile thing I can think of discussing is the issue of Kokabiel, and that has been taken care of."

"Yes, the issue has been dealt with." Michael confirmed for the boy. "But that is not the reason as for why Azazel spoke with me. Nor is that why I came here to talk to you." Looking around, he noticed that the table and area around them was rather empty. "Are your comrades not coming for this discussion?"

"I thought it better that this be a one on one deal." The Phantom Thief answered while leaning back in his chair. "Everyone else has exams to worry about and are keeping each other in check." He rested his arms against his stomach. "So, what exactly did you come here for?"

Michael brought his hand up to grab his cup once more. The sip that came after felt as if it were a large gulp. Akira though kept his gaze straight and pointed towards the Angel. Putting his cup down, Michael got back to the conversation. "We are holding a peace conference soon at Kuoh Academy… and I would like the Phantom Thieves to be present with you at the table with us."

"…What?!"

Akira's surprise did not shock Michael. Akira wasn't surprised at his own reaction either. His reaction caused him to stand up, almost knocking the chair that he was seated on down. Opening his mouth, he struggled to find the words. Closing his lips, Akira's held a finger up to indicate that he was about to speak. Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath and exhaled.

"…Okay," He breathed before sitting back down. "Let's start from the beginning." Holding both arms around, it was almost as if he were meditating to calm himself down. Putting the limbs back down, Akira looked directly at Michael. "You mentioned that Azazel-san told you where we live. Is this when this peace conference idea came up?"

"That is very much correct." Michael nodded his head, giving time for Akira to wrap his head around the subject. He did understand that suddenly saying that there was going to be a peace conference for factions at each others' throats for centuries would be surprising for anyone. Let alone being invited to participate as well as sit with their heads. "Kokabiel's sudden actions were shocking. But when told it was all just to start a war so he could enjoy a fight, it was a small indication that none of us could be fine with how things were after that stunt. Azazel had that in mind when he proposed such an idea in the first place."

All Akira could do now was nod his head. "Yeah, understandable." He had to agree. But that nod stopped soon after. "But what exactly do you mean by peace conference? I mean… aren't you all technically living under some sort of treaty between the three factions?"

"In a sense, yes, that is correct." Michael nodded his head. "But what we are really trying to do… is band together and join forces."

"Team up so there won't be any fighting amongst yourselves…" Akira stated, but he had to say that it was a poor way to word it. "What exactly is there to fight against though? You make it sound as if there were some imminent threat. From what I can tell, just the three factions have issues with each other. Other places don't seem to have a problem or care of anything but themselves."

"I too am curious about that." Michael admitted. "But Azazel made it sound as if us joining forces is something required. As if something as big as all the factions will come out of shadows to attack." He then averted his downward gaze to the boy. "Which is one of the reasons as for why I am asking you to join us at the table."

"Yeah, about that, I still am confused as to why you came to such a decision. If you're constantly talking about the three factions as well, do Azazel-san and Sirzechs-san know about this?" Akira questioned. "Something as important as that would at least have to be consulted with them. Not only that, we're just humans with some interesting abilities. That's it."

"But you have also proven to be a capable party that has even interactions will all three factions. Gremory and Sitri for Devils, Azazel for the Fallen, and exorcists for the side of Angels." Michael listed. "Yes, Sirzechs was also present with Azazel due to the latter actually contacting the former. After our discussion we all did agree that this is something that we all wanted. But the decision still ultimately falls to you."

"…Even the Devil faction was present during your conversation." Akira had to clarify, causing Michael to nod. "Is there anything that Sirzechs-san mentioned about us then that would be of interest to you?"

"Yes, quite so." Michael sipped the last of his coffee. "I thank you for what you have done."

"…" Akira narrowed his eyes at this. "So you were aware of Yaldabaoth's existence then? After all, he was a fake god in a way."

"Yes, Yaldabaoth was indeed trouble back then." Michael agreed. "But after several tiffs before and after the Great War, he went into hiding. Probably to be able to recover himself back to full strength to pull off some sort of scheme to only make himself stronger. Which he had done yet you managed to defeat him."

"So you were aware of him still being alive." Akira frowned. "Yet you did nothing to track him down?" Better yet, were the sudden cases of mental shutdowns not considered to worrisome or supernatural enough to at least have someone investigate? I believe something as disturbing as people suddenly just dying out in the streets randomly would require attention."

Michael stared at Akira. "You're displeased with this."

"Obviously." Akira folded his arms.

The blonde sighed is shame. "The reason we didn't do anything was because we couldn't find anything." Michael admitted. "Even when we sent people to investigate, they couldn't find anything related to the mental shutdowns, let alone Yaldabaoth. We knew that something was off, but there was nothing we could do about it. Even when it came down to the Phantom Thieves, we couldn't find out anything about any of you."

Listening, Akira just continued to stare. Eventually though, he sighed. "…I guess you couldn't do anything if you couldn't find anything." He said, not exactly happy about that. Even if they had pulled off so many stunts of taking peoples hearts, the risk of them dying was still present. The Metaverse may have been the reason the Phantom Thieves came together, but it was also the Metaverse that caused Akira to almost believe he had made a wrong decision and nearly kill everyone in the process. With the supernatural world now becoming a part of his life, he questioned why they didn't do anything, and it was up to the human group to clean up Yaldabaoth's mess.

Michael noticed the small amount of bitterness Akira produced. But still, it was a bitter feeling all the same that came his way. "My apologies for what Heaven has done to you." Michael said while bowing a bit. "And know that I immensely thank you for what you have done. This debt shall never be forgotten, and that you will have our support whenever you may need it."

Akira quickly realized what was happening. "It's fine, just raise your head. There's no need to do that anyways." He shook his head quickly. "A simple apology would have been fine."

Michael only hummed with a small smile. "Maybe." He said before rising. "Tell Sojiro Sakura that I thank him for the coffee. It was very good."

"I'll take it the coffee was heavenly in your opinion?" Akira asked. Michael stared at the boy while he looked back blankly. But eventually, the two of them chuckled. "I'll walk you out."

As the two of them moved though, Michael had to say. "You still haven't answered my question." He said as they both reached the door. "Would you like to sit at the table with us and be recognized as an equal party? Or would you prefer to remain in the shadows?"

As Akira opened the wooden barrier, he thought about it for about a minute.

Considering various situations…

 **TakeABreak**

It was only a couple of days later that the meeting of the factions began.

Thankfully, it was after school but at a late time to the sun was beginning to set. But it was almost strange. Due to the nature of this meeting, precautions had to be taken. Now, in the old school building where Rias' Peerage would hang around, the Phantom Thieves could only see the sky with a purple hue to it all thanks to a magical barrier. Most likely to prevent anyone or thing to just barge in unannounced.

What really took the cake however was what occupied the sky. There were so many specks to create clouds. But those specks were really masses of Angels, Devils, and Fallen Angels. So many littered the sky, it was almost as if they could block out the sun if they gathered together.

"Shit… this really is important." Ryuji muttered to himself, staring out of the window and eyeing the colored setting outside. "Something that big… wonder if it's as strong then."

"It has to be, obviously." Ravel folded her arms, peeking out of the window as well. "As you said, this meeting is important. There is no way the factions would allow any kind of risk to take place whatsoever."

"Yeah, I know, I know." Ryuji reassured the smaller blonde of how he thought of the situation. Bending forward, he scratched the top back of his head. "It's just… something like this is really happening, you know? From what I understand, Devils, Fallen Angels, and Angels couldn't really be in the same room without being at each others' throats. But now for all of that to end with this… Must be some pretty serious stuff that needs to be talked about."

"And we're sure that Azazel-san did not tell any of you anything before hand?" Ravel raised an eyebrow, earning a shake of the head from Ryuji. That caused her to sigh. "What in the world is going on through that leader's mind?"

"We haven't really been in contact with him since the Rating Game ended, so who knows?" Ryuji shrugged his shoulders." He then turned around. "Hey, barrier's up." The blonde boy notified all the humans and Devils in the room. "Should we get moving?"

"Yes, it's time to go." Rias nodded her head. But then she turned her head towards a box. "Now Gasper, I'm sorry, but it's best that you stay in your room until negotiations are over. We don't want your Sacred Gear to accidentally go off and slow things down."

"It's okay, I understand." Gasper nodded his head, keeping his gaze averted

"Wait, Gasper-chan," Futaba jogged up to the boy. "Not like that." She tapped him on the shoulder. "Come on, like you wrote down. If you do, you'll get your reward…" The ginger sang out in a tempting song.

Everyone else in the room seemed to be confused at what Futaba was talking about. But then Gasper slowly turned his head around the stared directly at them. "It's okay, I understand why." He said, doing his best not to avert his gaze. "Good luck with everything." Still, his eyes did not go away.

"…That was perfect, Gasper-chan!" Futaba cheered for the boy as she pulled out a small book and scribbled in it. "Here, take these. They may not seem like it, but they're incredibly tasty!" She commented while trying to fish out of her bag. Successfully, she brought out a variety of snacks. "Go ahead, enjoy!"

"Whoa!" Gasper gasped in awe, turning his head down to the table. "I don't even know where to begin!"

"Well, you got a lot of time to choose! Take care!" Futaba grinned at the face Gasper was making. Getting off the couch, she jogged right after the others that were exiting the room.

"Futaba-san, if I may ask," Kiba spoke out. "What was that all about?"

"A secret that I will take to my grave." Futaba easily put mischievously.

Walking towards the main building and entering, all of them made their way through the halls until they saw the conference room where everything would be taking place. Rias raised her hand and knocked. "Pardon us." She pushed the door open and walked in with everyone else behind her.

When they entered the room, they saw that everyone else had already gathered. Around a giant table, Azazel was seated on the right side. Next to him was Vali, leaning against the wall with his arms folded and staring at the newcomers, slightly nodding back when he made eye contact with Haru. Across at the far end from them was Michael with Irina standing right behind him. To the left were both Sirzechs and Serafall, Sona and Tsubaki both standing behind them with Grayfia next to them as well.

Although it was almost unneeded, Sirzechs gestured his hand towards Rias and her Peerage.  
My younger sister, her Peerage, and Ravel Phenex." He introduced. "They found themselves involved with the recent attack by Kokabiel."

"Sorry for the trouble Kokabiel caused." Azazel apologized, but didn't really look sorry.

"Please, be seated." Sirzechs offered, allowing the rest of the Devils to move to the side and sit down on chairs that were provided.

But Akira and the rest of the humans (with a cat) didn't move. Instead, Akira stepped forward. "Akira Kurusu, leader of the Phantom Thieves." He decided to introduce himself as well, getting several nods of acknowledgement from those at the table. "You guys can be against the wall if you want." The statement was meant for his friends, as they took their own spots.

The three other factions watched as Akira made his way to the table… and sat down.

"So," Azazel smirked at the sight. "How's it feel to sit down with the big shots?"

"I have to admit, slightly awkward." Akira answered honestly. "I mean… with the leader of the Grigori, an Archangel, and two of the Great Maou with me being just human." He placed both hands on his chest. "Can you really blame me?"

"It's okay, Akira-chan," Serafall gave a thumbs up in his direction. "We're here just to talk. Nothing bad is going to happen."

"…Speaking of talking…"

With those words, Akira brought the slightly light mood down to a neutral atmosphere. What came after was a fold of conversations with various matters in mind. At first, it was talking about how God was dead. There were incredible concerns that because of that, the amount of Angels there were was low. Akira proposed an idea which caused them to think. But at the same time, his suggestion came with a possible flaw.

After that though… came matters about Kokabiel.

Rias, Sona, Ravel, and Makoto all gave their own reports of how they witnessed the incident. The way they explained things may have been different, but each of them confirmed their reports with one another in the end. But after each report, most of the table turned to a single person.

Azazel leaned back. "Look, the recent incident was caused by the independent actions by Kokabiel himself. But there's no need to worry about him since he's down in the frozen depths of Cocytus. He won't be coming back. I believe everything I just mentioned is on the handout you all received. There's nothing more to say."

"…There's a handout?" Akira asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but you came a little late and didn't receive one." Azazel waved his hand. "Your loss. That's what you get for not coming on time for this meeting."

"Right… meeting." Akira nodded his head. "Speaking of which, you said that there was one main purpose of this, correct? There is something big about this, isn't there?" He tapped his finger on the table. "Why else would you allow me to be a part of this table. As a separate faction that is needed to be a part of the conversation?" He leaned forward a bit. "How does this involve the Phantom Thieves?"

The question ask caused utter silence among them all. This led to Sirzechs, Serafall, and Michael to all look towards Azazel. "Well… now that I think about it…" Sirzechs frowned. "We all agreed that it would be a good idea just because of how things have been turning out. But now that you mention everything…"

Azazel raised his hands. "Aw, come on, four on one hardly seems fair at the moment." He jested for a moment, but then cleared his head. "But, yeah, somethings up that does kind of concern you… At least, you've interacted with."

"This isn't about Yaldaboth, is it?" Akira asked. "After all, we did already take care of him."

"No, nothing of the sorts. Though thanks for that, guy was an even bigger prick than God." Azazel shook his head. "No, what this is really about is the Khaos Brigade."

Now that caused the Phantom Thieves to shut up for a moment. "Khaos Brigade…" Yusuke whispered. "It's been a while since I last heard that name."

Sirzechs heard Yusuke's musing and turned his head. "You are familiar with this group?"

"They tried to recruit us at one point while preparing Rias for her Rating Game." Akira stated. "So that means that you've found out more about them, Azazel-san?"

"Yup, and it's not really looking well." Azazel sighed while rubbing his head. "For everyone who isn't aware, a group of humans from this Khaos Brigade group tried to recruit the Phantom Thieves into their ranks. But what's weird is that they are trying to do what it best for humanity and human-kind. With that kind of goal, you think that they wouldn't bother being a part of other supernatural groups. But the Khaos Brigade really is a large combination of Devils, Fallen, humans, and a few Angels. It makes you wonder what kind of things that group would have in mind."

"So this meeting was mainly to have us all also team up and prepare for this massive group that is mobilizing." Michael summarized. He put a hand to his chin. "Hmm, this is troubling. If members of all factions are already banding together behind out backs… and assuming all those humans are Sacred Gear users, this spells nothing but trouble."

"Exactly the point I'm trying to make." Azazel nodded. "But unfortunately, we can't assume that human part. It is confirmed that they're all Sacred Gear users. One's that've perfected themselves as well. But as for the group in general, apart from that humanity part, they're after nothing by ruin and chaos. And the leading them is-"

Before Azazel could speak anymore, a weird feeling spread through the entire room. But it didn't feel like it came from the room, but rather from outside. Purple now became the general color of everything. A familiar chill ran through the entire room only to the humans. Among all of the Devils, only Issei, Sirzechs, and Serafall were not swallowed by the colored hue. The same was for Michael, Azazel, Vali, and the Phantom Thieves.

"What was that?" Serafall frowned and looked around.

Akira slowly looked over towards the other Phantom Thieves who were giving grimaces as they knew what it was. But he decided that he should be the one to announce it. Especially since it looked to be that Issei were the only one to confirm it. "Gasper Vladi's Sacred Gear."

While a couple were confused, Issei was the main occupant that could ever react in an alarmed manner. "What?! How the hell is that possible?!" He questioned. "Isn't is based off his vision? Then how is it able to spread this far?"

Several flashes of light soon began erupting from the window. Getting off of their spots, Azazel was one of many to move over towards the transparent barrier to get a good look. "Who the heck are those?" Mogana asked, up on Ryuji's shoulder as they all saw several people seeming to rise right out from the ground thanks to several glyphs right under them.

"Terrorists judging by how this are going on here." Azazel noted leaning closer. "Namely sorcerers by the looks of it though. Shouldn't be able to get us in here though, thanks to the strong barrier we all put up. But it does seem like we're stuck here though…"

"But how the heck are they able to freeze time?" Ann asked.

Futaba's thoughts immediately went to one person that had the ability. "Gasper-chan…" She said quietly in a bit of horror. "I'm not sure if this is the case, but it could be possible that they're powering him up and forcing him to use an amped version of his Sacred Gear…"

"I think the term you're looking for is Balance Breaker." Azazel corrected for her. This caused all of the teenagers to turn at the man in confusion. "Well, put into an abridged version, it's an evolved form of Sacred Gears in which their full powers can be released. If you're talking about a time Sacred Gear, then Forbidden Balor View's Balance Breaker is freezing nearly everything in an area."

"Then we have to do something!" Futaba exclaimed. With a quick burst of flames, she turned into her Phantom Thief outfit and began looking. "Uh oh… it looks like Gasper-chan has also frozen all the others but the sorcerers that are coming!"

That just led to Azazel whistling. "Wow, that's pretty impressive." He complimented. "But, can't have them dying on us now, can we?"

"You got that right!" Ryuji nodded his head while snapping his head around. "Akira, what do we do?" But then the fire in his voice died down a bit when he noticed where his friend was. "…Akira?"

Everyone else looked over to see where the boy was. Sluggishly, Akira had made his way towards Sona. Standing in front of her frozen form, Akira couldn't help but stare at the shock on her face. Perhaps a reaction to an odd feeling before being frozen. But Akira did not move from his spot nor did he avert his gaze… A gaze that was holding an unknown feeling.

"So… these terrorists…" Akira slowly said. "…They're the ones responsible for this?"

"…Hey, dude…" Ryuji came up and tapped his shoulder. "You okay?"

"…Am I okay?" Akira asked curtly, only settling for a turn of his head. "Great. Fantastic. Just brimming with ideas." Each sentence came swift and without much emotion. "Three things that need to be done. First, making sure the ones outside are taken care of. Second, aiding Gasper-san so no one will be under the effects of his Sacred Gear. Third, find out who even started this."

"Seems simple enough." Azazel nodded his head before turning to an acquaintance. "Vali, how about you help with part one? You always complain about wanting a good fight. How about giving this place a e shot?"

Vali only folded his arms while raising an eyebrow. Eventually though, he shrugged his shoulders. "Alright, fine by me." Opening one of the windows, he was about to jump out but pointed at the Phantom Thieves. "None of you need to concern yourselves with this part. I'm more than enough for those outside."

All but Akira looked at each other before shrugging their shoulders. "Well, as long as you stay careful." Haru spoke out with a small smile of thanks.

Vali looked at her. But his eyes were on her for a lot longer than any of them had anticipated. Nodding his head, he took on a familiar form when he took Kokabiel away and began causing chaos among the grounds outside.

"That just leaves part 2 now." Akira said, still not moving from his spot.

"Wait, I just thought of something." Makoto spoke out. "If Futaba can manipulate various surroundings related to magic, why doesn't she possibly try to counter Gasper-san's Sacred Gear?"

"Because through all of my manipulating, time is a constant change that I would have to fight against." Futaba frowned. "My manipulating has to do with many kinds of calculations or codes like actual hacking. I would have to input a variety of things but also make sure that they're synchronized with reality when compared to the frozen time in here. With each passing second, the calculation would have to change several numbers and such for it to work."

"In that case, as said, free Gasper-san." Akira stated. "A couple of people and Futaba go to the old school building. There you will have to fight to get Gasper-san out of there while Futaba provides you supports and a getaway."

"Uh, senpais…" Most people saw that Issei was the one to raise his hand. "If you wouldn't mind, could I be one of the ones to-"

"That's be fine." Akira cut the boy off. "In that case, Morgana, you help him out."

The cat nodded, flipping in the air and turning into his Phantom Thief version. "Got it." He nodded his head.

"Right." Futaba nodded as well. "Come on,-I-cchi!" She grabbed the brunette threw him out of the window.

Ignoring the cry of surprise from the brunette, Futaba and Morgana both jumped out the window as well. With Futaba sliding into the bottom of Necronomicon, the tentacles of the Persona grabbed both falling members before flying off.

"Well, that's two parts down." Makoto noted. Putting on her Phantom Thief outfit with everyone else, she turned to Akira. "Actually, now that I think about it, you said that you knew who the leader of the Khaos Brigade was."

Azazel knew that he was the victim of this statement. "Right. Like I was saying, their leader is the Ouroboros dragon… Ophis."

As if there were a signal, an orange glow filled the room. Everyone was immediately on guard as they turned around towards the doorway where the glow was originating from. Rising up from a glyph that was around that spot, a tall bespectacled woman with a voluptuous figure was seen. She had tan skin with long brown hair tied into a bun with a headset and she had purple eyes. What she wore for clothing was an extremely low-cut dress that had a high slit which exposed a large portion of her chest.

Despite those surrounding her, she took in the occupants of the room and smirked. "Greetying, current Lucifer, Sirzechs." She greeted. "Such a hostile welcome. Don't you recognize me? Katerea Leviathan, kin to the previous Leviathan?"

"…No, I would never be able to forget your face." Sirzechs frowned. "Does that mean that the rest of the Old Great Maou are with the Khaos Brigade?"

"How astute." Katerea put her hands on her hips. "As a symbol of power herself, she's perfectly suited to bring different powers together. With that power, this world will be destroyed and rebuilt for the betterment of the future… We will be the ones to rule over that new world."

"Destroying and then rebuilding?" Serafall questioned. "Katerea-san, why would you do this?!"

"You question me, Serafall?!" Katerea venomously asked. "You, with the title of Leviathan you stole from me, do not-?!"

A flash of blue flames shot up in the area but then died down just as fast. With that grabbing their attention, everyone looked over towards Akira. The boy was still standing in front of Sona, not even have taking a single step from his original stance. His head was turned in the direction of where all of the noise was coming from.

"…So…" Akira's face couldn't be made out properly due to the darkness of his clothing and mask. "That's means you're the one responsible for all of this."

Katerea scoffed. "Well, obviously, who else would-"

A gunshot immediately rang out in the room followed by a sudden scream of pain. Something had pierced right through Katerea's shoulder and caused her to physically recoil and take a step back while putting a hand against the wound.

Nobody could really see it, but Akira's left arm had been moved so that there was a small space between the limb and his body. Thanks to that space, it provided the perfect window for Akira to have been able to point his gun right under the arm and fire.

Gritting her teeth, she hissed as her arm started burning and the hole began to heal. "That was a cheap shot, brat." She growled.

"Good." Akira answered, with narrowed eyes. "Everyone…" Fully turning around, Akira flourished his gun and knife while Arsene appeared while extending its wings so strongly it created a powerful wind upon arrival. "She's mine."

 **WOOOOOOOOOO! ANOTHER CHAPTER! Not as impressive, but, WOOOOOOOOOO!**

 **Coming up, Issei's rodeo/hoedown and something other than Akira's feelings coming to life!**

 **No flames please.**


	31. Chapter 31

**This is a fanfic. BUY THE FUCKING MERCHANDISE!**

[ _Right, we're approaching the old school building._ ]

Futaba's voice notified both Morgana and Issei of the destination they had in mind and how close it was. Still keeping a grip on Necronomicon's tentacles, the brunette was making sure that his hands were tight around the surface. It really wasn't that much of a fall. No, it was from him being so anxious of what was coming up.

Morgana, who was also holding on, looked over to the brunette and noticed the expression on his face. "You doing okay?" The cat frowned. "As Futaba said, we're near the old school building. You haven't even gotten yourself ready." With a nod of his head, he made sure his chin was gesturing to Issei's body.

"Huh?" Issei gave Morgana a confused look as he eyed the cat. But noticing the head movement, the boy immediately realized what the Phantom Thief was going on about. "Oh, right!" He exclaimed as there was a burst of red miasma off of his body and he was suddenly in his Persona-wielding outfit. "Sorry about that." The apology was followed by a scratch to the back of his head.

Cocking his head to the side, the smallest of the Phantom Thieves kept the frown on his face. "You haven't answered my question." Morgana pointed out. "Are you that nervous or something?"

To that, Issei looked away. "I mean… kind of." The brunette admitted hesitantly, looking to the ground as they passed by the masses that were too busy focusing on a devastating force that took on the colors of white and blue. "I guess it's because despite all of my practicing, I still don't have this entire Persona thing down. There's so much that I still got to learn about before fighting."

"Learn about outside of a fight?" Morgana raised an eyebrow while leaning his head back. "Issei-san, Personas are a manifestation of yourself." He explained. "That's not what some of us meant by learning. When we had our Personas unlocked, we pretty much didn't have time to train. So we did what we could in the Metaverse and got experience from that. Also, we took the time to make sure to understand and fully determine who or what we really wanted."

Before the second-year student could react, Futaba injected something into the conversation. [ _Sorry to break up the tutorial, but we've arrived. But there is kind of a problem._ ]

She was correct, in their sights was the old school building. Nothing looked very different about it. But there was one glaring issue about the sight though, and that was the windows. Normally, they would just be transparent if one were close enough or reflective at a distance. This time however, several magic circles lined the windows.

[ _But don't worry about that, because I have a solution!_ ] Futaba announced.

"And what exactly would that be?" Morgana asked. The tentacles holding both of its passengers suddenly wrapped around the two of them. While Issei gave the tentacles an odd look, Morgana had an expression of realization on his face and snapped his head up. "Futaba, whatever you're going to do, I don't think it's a good idea!"

[ _Here's the wind up…_ ] The giant spaceship-Persona soon began turning in a circle while moving around the building. After one rotation, a second circulating started but at a faster speed. Then came a third spin even faster. [ _And the pitch!_ ]

"Aaahhh!"

Both Issei and Morgana screamed then Necronomicon used the momentum to throw them like a couple of sentient baseballs across the distance that was between them and the old school building. As they expected, those magical circles that were in their sights began to open fire as many magical bolts started firing towards them.

But instead of meeting their flesh, each spell instead hit a green bubble that surrounded the two of them. Eventually breaking through the window of the top floor where the main room was, both Issei and Morgana rolled on the floor and got onto their feet. Issei had one of his double-barreled revolvers ready while Morgana had his sword resting on his shoulder.

"Damn it, they got through our defences!"

"Incoming from outside!"

The scene before both males showed several people which were suspected to be sorcerers occupying the room. Across the room from where Issei and Morgana stood however was Gasper suspended in the air by magical runes was who was groaning in pain. "Gasper!" Issei shouted.

A crash followed by part of the wall was not really part of the attention as Necronomicon had broken through the structure of the building. Quickly leaping out, Futaba slid over right next to the two other people that were not human. "Gasper-chan, it's okay! We'll get you out soon enough!"

"Sakura-san, I'm so sorry. This whole all my fault!" Gasper shouted in pain, his eyes missing the natural pupils. Instead, they were replaced with a glowing-yellow diamond shape with red pieces to make up the rest of the eye.

"It's okay, Gasper-chan. I'm just glad we managed to make it unharmed." Futaba reassured the boy. "Are you okay?"

But what followed next was a surprise to the three attempting to rescue the half-vampire. "You guys… please… please kill me…"

Almost all three of them took a step back at his request. After all, it wasn't natural for someone to just say that. Even more, such a sentence just didn't sound right. "Wh-what?!" Morgana asked.

"It's always the same." Gasper stated while dipping his head sadly. "I'm always causing nothing but trouble for everyone around me… family… especially friends! That's why it's better if I never existed!"

"Don't be silly!" Futaba exclaimed. "It doesn't matter if things like this happen because of you! I'll never consider you a nuisance! None of your friends will ever say that about you! Not only that, but you've just gotten started on your progress! There's no way you can give up just now!"

Interrupting their moment was a single sigh. Looking to the side, they saw that one of the sorcerers was the one who created such a sound. Shaking their head, a few long locks of hair fell out from under the hood. "How foolish." Came a female voice as they grabbed Gasper by the hair and pulling it up to show the despair on his face. "You try those tactics instead of brainwashing him. What kind of idiots don't take advantage of the tools in front of them."

"You…" Morgana hissed, Zorro suddenly rising up from behind him and pointing its rapier in their direction.

"…" Gasper sniffled, closing his eyes. Trembling, he hiccupped. Tears soon began rolling down his eyes as he was just going through so much grief. "…I just don't want to cause anyone anymore trouble…" He wept.

Issei, who was silent through the entire exchange, just kept on boiling in anger at the scenario. First of all were all of these sorcerers putting the guy through a lot of pain. Sure, he hardly knew the smaller blonde. But Gasper was doing his best to attempt to improve his abilities yesterday. Yes, the boy struggled a lot. That just meant that he was putting in a lot of effort. It reminded Issei so much of what he had to go through when training for the Rating Game.

Second, once more despite not really knowing Gasper, but that boy was still a fellow member of the Peerage that he was a part of!

"Stop being so selfish!" Issei exclaimed, startling everyone in the room at his sudden outburst. "Yeah, things are tough! But take it from a guy who also struggled, you still have all of your friends to help you along the way! Things will get better; I can promise that" He stomped forward. "You think you're trouble!? Then fine! That won't change anything or how we feel about and treat you! In fact, I'll save you all by myself in order to show that you are worth the trouble!" The brunette announced while pointing at himself with his thumb.

That bold statement surprised everyone in the room, even getting a physical reaction from all of the occupants. "Issei…" Morgana said slowly, leaning forward. "Are you really sure that's what you want to do?"

"Positive." Issei nodded his head with narrow eyes. "As you said, you get the experience when in the heat of the moment. I think this is the perfect time to see what I am capable of in a real fight." He then turned to eye the cat. "Besides," The brunette smirked. "I remember a few tips and tricks Akira-senpai taught me."

Morgana and Futaba stared at the confident look that the boy was producing. It reminded them of the time when Issei first unlocked his Persona. The two Phantom Thieves then eyed each other. After a silent exchange, the two of them nodded their heads. Stepping back, the cat and human gave the Devil some room.

"Alright then." Morgana. "If that's the case, I'll step in if I think things get too hairy for you."

"And you'll have my support!" Futaba added. "Now make sure you kick their asses and save Gasper-chan!"

"…Issei-san…" Gasper whispered.

Taking breaths in and out while all of the sorcerers in the room began to raise their hands in preparation for battle, Issei did his best to calm himself. "Remember what Akira-senpai said. It's not just physical. It's also a mental thing. Physical and mental… physical and mental…"

Seeing one of the sorcerers pointed their hand at him with a magic circle, Issei reacted quickly. "Say hello to my little friend!" He exclaimed while reaching for his right hip with his left hand. Grabbing a handle that looked like it belonged to a whip, the boy swiftly spun it around counter clockwise.

During that motion however, something that had the color of red-hot metal began shooting out from a hole that was at the end of the handle pointing outwards. The material was a rope as it extended until it had extended far enough as Issei swung down to strike the sorcerer's hand.

Not only did the sorcerer shriek in agony but was also severely burned due to the end of whatever hitting her being the source of extremely high temperatures. But her cry of pain was almost drowned out by the sound of a crack in the air, almost as if a whip had suddenly snapped.

Grabbing the middle of the rope, Issei soon began to spin the further tip around with his right hand as it showed that he was holding onto a lasso while spinning a red-hot loop that was nearly his size.

"And that's not the only thing the Ascalon Blade has done for me!" Issei grinned savagely while the room began to grow a shadow due to a red dragon suddenly occupying the area.

 **TakeABreak**

Akira's declaration seemed to surprise all of the occupants in the room that were unaffected by Gasper's Sacred Gear.

But what he implied was rather humorous to one of them. Funny enough to cause them to chuckle. "I'm yours?" Katerea asked with a smirk, putting a hand on herself. "You actually believe that you have a chance against a descendant of Leviathan? You're just human!"

"Big talk coming from some shamed Devil who not only lost their position from the Great War, but also was wounded from a gunshot thanks to said human." Akira remarked, pointing his knife in her direction. His statement caused her to growl, much to his satisfaction.

All but Azazel of the four leaders looked like they wanted to talk, but it didn't look like that scenario would ever come. "…I don't suppose you'll surrender, Katerea?" Sirzechs asked with a frown on his face. "You could just do that and we won't be to harsh with punishing you."

Rolling her fingers, the dark-skinned Devil had her hand wide open as a dark energy began to form around the flesh. "No." She answered. "You're a decent Devil King, but far from the strongest. Which is why we will bring things back to the old ways."

While the tension between the supernatural happened, The Phantom Thieves all look towards their leader. "…Joker," Yusuke asked, already holding onto the handle of his blade. "Is there anything that we could do to help you?"

Cracking his knuckles, Akira eyed the blue-haired boy from the corner of his eye. "All of you can prevent the others from interfering."

All the humans looked at one another, feeling rather hesitant to just leave their leader alone to fight one of the big shots. "Dude, you okay?" Ryuji asked. "You seriously look like you're going to beat the shit out of her."

If Akira was going to answer, nobody would have known. A lot of magic had gathered around Katerea's hand a lot faster than any of the Three Factions would have anticipated. With a quick swipe of her hand, a massive explosion of dark magic erupted through the entire room. With the power behind the attack, the area was a complete mess as a lot of debris and dust was kicked up.

Akira had just managed to defend himself with Arsene's wings covering him. As soon as the feathers parts ways, he aimed with him gun in Katerea's general direction. But with the dust, he couldn't get a clear sight. That easily led to the descendant of Leviathan charging the boy and knocking him out of the giant space in the wall behind him and outside with a staff.

Coughing ensued through the room as some of the occupants had inhaled the dust. Waving their hands around, they looked around to see the damage that had been done to the room. Their attention was eventually changed when they saw some action from outside of the room. Watching Akira fall, the boy had managed to catch himself in mid-air thanks to Arsene and be thrown in Katerea's direction.

But Akira didn't make it as something from below shot up and struck the boy. Looking down, they all saw that Vali did not manage to take care of all of the sorcerers or he was too occupied with another area. More robed figures had began rising up from the ground, all of them looking either in their direction or watching Akira try to fight Katerea.

"Well, I guess this is what Joker meant by try to prevent the others from interfering." Makoto suggested.

"Pretty sure he was mainly referring to them." Ryuji gestured with his thumb behind them.

"Either way, it's best that we take care of them right now." Ann added.

They all nodded in agreement. With multiple flashes of flames, they all drew their weapons. Not noticing the curious looks they were getting, all of them stepped forward to the edge of the building. "Noir, if you may." Makoto turned her head towards her friend.

"With pleasure." Haru smiled as she brought up her firearm. Firing a few grenades down into the crowd, that was then they all took immediate action.

The ground had suddenly erupted with small geysers of dirt spraying up thanks to the explosions of the grenades. Specks flew all over the place, temporarily blinding the opposition while throwing the unfortunate ones in the blast radius around. While that happened, all of the Phantom Thieves jumped out of the building and used their Personas to help cushion their fall.

As soon as they hit the ground and ran in separate directions, Ryuji sidestepped a spell being blasted his way. Drawing his shotgun, he fired in the general direction of where the blast came from. Holding his arm up, Captain Kidd came flying from behind and grabbed the boy by the limb. Flying upwards, the Persona punched an incoming sorcerer from the sky with its cannon-arm before throwing the blonde towards the ground. With his staff out, Ryuji smashed the end of the weapon against an unsuspecting opponent before knocking them away like a baseball.

A crack of a whip filled the air and a single sorcerer was knocked down onto the ground. There were those that tried to charge at her while others fired spells. Ann made sure that nothing got even close to her. Cracking her whip around with random precision, those attempting to rush her were getting punished for that idea. They couldn't do anything by be knocked to the ground or have whatever part they were hit on be frozen stiff to stop moving. Those that tried to fire spells meanwhile were having an incredibly hard time trying to pinpoint the female's position thanks to the smoke and fire Carmen was producing.

Yusuke came sliding through his opposition. With Goemon creating a path of ice, the blue-haired male slid along the element smoothly while firing his holy assault rifle with practiced aim. After a few seconds however he holstered his firearm and drew his blade. Slashing about as if he were focusing on a painting on a massive canvas, he moved swiftly around without the ice. Yusuke was swift with his arms, but Goemon was there to help his body and mind be even faster. Many that even suffered the slightest cut from the man ran in fear. Those that stood felt the wrath of the cold winds of Persona produced.

With the roar of an engine, Makoto swerved on Johanna and caused the back tire of the Persona to slam against a sorcerer's face. Constantly riding around, Makoto viciously ran each bit of opposition that stood in her way. Whoever was picked though was almost unpredictable due to her random movements. Activating the brakes when the back landed in the middle of a small pile of rubble, Makoto was flung forward but kept her grip on the handles. Accelerating, the back wheel caught in the pile still rotated, causing the entire Persona to spin around while Makoto used her batons to smash everyone around her.

Swinging her axe around, Haru hit one sorcerer with the end of the handle upwards. Swinging around, she hit another with the back of the axe-blade horizontally before using the momentum to hit the same one with a vertical smash. Leaping backwards, a burst of psychic energy from Milady also helped Haru flip backwards and right on top of another sorcerer while crushing them. Rolling off to the side, she pulled out her grenade launcher and fired in front of her three times, once upward in an arc, and then two more times forward and caused a lot of devastation.

Akira looked down to see the absolute chaos that his friends were providing. If he wasn't in the middle of doing something important, he would have stopped to admire the scene for a bit. That didn't stop him from smirking with satisfaction. Looking up, he saw that Katerea too was watching what was going on below and she look angry.

That distraction gave Akira the perfect opportunity though to take out her wings. While flying wasn't that much of a problem for him thanks to Arsene, that unfortunately meant that his Persona use was almost limited. If his opponent were on the ground or close to it, Akira would be able to be a lot more creative with how he could fight.

As he and the Persona ascended, Katerea saw them approaching. Pointing her staff, a burst of magic came flying towards them. Arsene however tossed Akira up just before disappearing. That gave Akira just enough distance to reach into his coat and throwing something right towards Katerea just before falling. But the missed her and flew up next to her back. The Devil only snickered not only when she saw where it was, but also because of the amusing happy face it made.

But Akira pulled up his pistol and shot the bomb and it suddenly exploded. But instead of an explosion, there was a massive burst of light which caused the Devil to scream in agony. He expected this. Holy items were supposed to be excruciating to Devils after all, and a Happy Bomb was more than enough for the job.

As Katerea careened down towards the ground, Akira and Arsene had already made it safely down. Spinning his knife around, Akira waited for the right moment. Just when the falling Devil came into his grasp front-first, the boy repeatedly stabbed her stomach a few times before leaving the knife in her body. Pushing her up and forward, Akira jumped as well. Using the knife and a step, he used his other foot to help slam her head right against the ground while breaking her nose with his heel.

Before Katerea could even get the chance to get back up, Akira had swiftly stepped off and began kicking the body that was on the ground viciously. After a few solid blows, he lifted his foot and stomped on the knife. Arsene immediately after used the stiletto part of its boot to stab through her shoulder. Quickly dragging its foot to the side, Katerea slid away from them as Arsene brought its boot out of her body while kicking Akira's knife up – which he caught in once smooth movement.

"This is… unbelievable! Unacceptable!" Katerea roared loudly, her skin suddenly knitting back to cover up the holes, but she looked like she was in agony. Using her staff as a pole for support, she managed to drag herself up. "How can a mere human do this to me?!"

"You know, lines like that are underwhelming in fiction. And in reality… it's a lot worse than I thought." Akira shook his head while shrugging his shoulders. "But let me tell you right now, there's more where that came from." He warned while pointing his knife at her once more. "Now, call off your minions to turn everyone back to normal before turning yourself in, otherwise we continue our little tiff." His warning a lot more intimidating thanks to the other Phantom Thieves gathering right behind him.

But rather than continue to be angry, Katerea eventually grew a small smile.

One that was not very pleasant. "Oh, I'll surrender once I'm dead." She viciously stated. "But I highly doubt that not even the leaders over there would try to do anything once I show them something very precious."

With a single snap of her fingers, a magic circle appeared right beside her. As expected, a single sorcerer did appear next to her. But there was something else that made everyone watching (since they had cleared the area) freeze. Well, rather than something… it was someone.

It was Sona in her time-frozen state.

A loud gasp emitted from Serafall as she quickly snapped her head over towards where all of the still Devils stood. Much to her dismay, Sona's body was not among them. It was at that point that everyone realized that the younger Devil must have been taken when Katerea created that massive explosion that also brought up all of that dust when they were too focused on her.

Akira meanwhile inhaled sharply, narrowing his eyes. Knowing that now they had a hostage, Sona among all people, made things incredibly difficult now. "Oracle," He said quietly. "How's rescuing Gasper-san?"

[ _Oh, things are good._ ] Futaba answered him. [ _No problems whatsoever._ ]

"If that's the case, would you mind hurrying up?" Akira asked. "We've got a hostage situation going on here, and-"

[ _Also brought to you by Ascalon's Blade, Ascalon's armory and ammunitions!_ ]

Blinking, Akira couldn't help but turn his head over to where the school building was in confusion with the other Phantom Thieves. "…Was that Issei?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, ignoring the look of disbelief that Katerea was giving him since he was not paying attention to her.

[ _Hm? Oh yeah, it totally was!_ ] Futaba confirmed. [ _I have no idea what you put him through or what you told him, but all of that worked like a charm! Check this out!_ ]

Suddenly, a green holographic image was brought up to view from Akira's perspective and it expanded into a large screen while showing what was going on in the school building. Even the leaders gained a screen of their own to watch.

"…Guys, are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Ann asked, looking at the others who were watching.

 **TakeABreak**

Pointing one of his revolvers, Issei shot one of the sorcerers. Quickly pointing his second gun in the opposite direction, he fired another shot right on point. Leaning out of the way of a punch, which he thought was dumb since they were spellcasters, the brunette smashed the butt of the weapon on their face.

Spinning around, he kicked a hand that was aiming for him. Stomping on the ground to stop himself from spinning around, he pointed his revolver once again and shot once more which ended up sending a sorcerer flying out of the windows. Spreading his arms out, he nailed two more with his guns. Shooting another that was charging for him, Issei saw another magician aim for him out of the corner of his eye.

Ddraig slammed its tail down to prevent the attack from happening. Opening its mouth, a torrent of fire came spewing out and torching all those that were unfortunate to be in its way. When several spells were shot towards it to shut its mouth, it only settled for smashing its snout against the opposition.

Slamming the butt of the gun on his right hand down on their hand of one who was aiming for him, the brunette then pointed his left-handed gun towards them and fired. Slightly turning forward, he shoved a knife upwards and blasted a small hole through the attacker's arm. Ducking under a spell, Issei shot in the direction the magical bolt came from before swiftly turning around a landing a couple more gunshots.

Spinning both revolvers on his index fingers, those bits were still on the triggers. As the guns rotated, they still shot bullets whenever Issei would move his fingers in order to move the trigger. Each shot looked as if they were unpredictable but landed on every single target that he could see.

But just like the Phantom Thieves, it just was not about gun fights.

Looking over, he saw that there weren't many sorcerers left while holstering his guns. Which explained why Gasper was suddenly on the floor and panting. Yet the boy didn't move, probably because out of fear. "Just sit tight, Gasper!" He exclaimed as the boy stared at him with wide eyes.

Hearing someone yell out a battle cry, Issei grabbed his whip handle and swung downwards. Already, a lasso had formed when the rope was spat out. Right at the loop had tightened itself around the magician, Issei turned his body while pulling and threw them out of the window. When bringing the lasso back, the brunette stepped out of the way of a magic bolt. Watching the energy go by, it had suddenly stopped in mid-air.

Surprised, he turned his head around to see that Gasper was staring in his general direction with his eyes wide open and looking odd. "Issei-senpai!" the half-vampire cried out.

"Ah, right!" Issei was reminded of the fight. Having a feeling that it just may work. Throwing his lasso over towards the bolt, he managed to snag the magic right out of mid-air. Spinning the magic around, most of the sorcerers were now extremely cautious of the boy, all stepping back as if it were going to help them. With a flick of his wrist, he slammed the bolt down to the ground and sent a group of magicians flying.

With the swinging momentum still in his arms, he brought the handle up to his neck. The item then began to spin around his neck, causing the long rope to whip around and knock down anyone in its way. Grabbing it soon after, Issei snapped it around someone's neck. Pulling them forward, Issei then shoved them into the air with his body and they landed right onto Rias' desk face first.

A final group of sorcerers then tried to fire a mass of spells towards the boy, but then suddenly froze in place. But Issei knew that was going on. "Nice job, Gasper! You're really getting the hang of this!" The brunette complimented. His arm was then a quick blur, his whip hitting one after the other but there was no sound of visible reaction.

After swinging his arm multiple time, he attached the whip to his hip. Spinning on his toes, he smirked while tipping in hat. As soon as that action was made, multiple cracks popped in the air while all of the sorcerers were knocked all around before collapsing to the ground.

"And that's how it's done." Issei said to himself with a small grin.

 **TakeABreak**

"…I didn't teach him that." Akira stated when everyone was looking at him just as Issei had struck his pose. "But hey, either way at least the effects of Gasper-san's Sacred Gear should be wearing off."

As the other looked over to Sona, the green screen flickered out of existence. The effect that followed was almost instantaneous. The purple around them began to disappear in a wave. Those that were affected, turning back to normal. All of them blinked and looked at their own bodies, almost as if they did not believe what had just happened. Or as if they had just woken up from a peculiar dream.

As Sona regained her consciousness, she gasped a blinked rapidly. Breathing in and out, the first sight she saw was the Phantom Thieves standing across from her a fair distance away. "Wh-what happened?" She asked herself.

Her words however caught the attention of those that were already conscious of the situation. "Sitri-san!" Makoto called out. "Apparently the Khaos Brigade attacked Gasper-san and used his Sacred Gear to try and freeze everyone here and kill all of the faction heads!"

"Wh-what?!" Sona asked. She was suddenly yanked by a pair of hands. Snapping her head around, she saw a couple of unfamiliar faces. "Katerea Leviathan?!" Nobody else really reacted to her, but then Sona immediately began to understand the situation. At the moment, during some sort of time freeze, she had been taken hostage and that fighting had been put on a temporary hold…

And she couldn't do anything to escape. Sona knew that she wasn't strong enough to escape from a descendant of the Leviathan all by herself. All she could do was wait and watch…

Akira's mouth and eyes meanwhile twitched in displeasure at how Sona was being handled.

"It doesn't matter that you managed to free your little pet vampire." Katerea attempted to sound as if she still had the upper-hand. "Even with your general forces free, we are still the dominant side. And you…" While holding onto Sona, she pointed with her staff. "All of you will not intervene with our goals."

"Oh really?" Akira asked. "Why is that then?"

"We have the sister of the current Leviathan." The dark-skinned Devil reminded, yanking the girl of who she was addressing about. Akira's gaze leveled with her. "You would not want to put her in any danger, would you? Then you will obey what I say, or else she dies."

Staring at her, Akira turned his head in the direction of Serafall. The older sister however looked like she was torn between anger and anxiety. Bringing his head back to Katerea, he opened his mouth.

"No."

His response was neutral. But it was almost deafening to everyone. The mere statement shocked every person but Akira to their core. It was so surprising, even Katerea was taken aback. "…I beg your pardon?" Disbelief filled his voice as her eyes were wide.

"I said no." Akira said curtly.

"Explain yourself!"

"It means no."

"But I will kill her!"

"No!"

That was when Akira put his foot down. His raise in volume was enough to even force Katerea to step back and away from Sona. The black-haired girl meanwhile was just staring at the boy in a mixture of emotions. She thought that what he was doing was almost crazy. But then she remembered just how Akira was like… and she began to understand why he was acting like that.

"Because this is what I'm going to do…" Akira stepped forward. "I'm going to rescue her. I'm going to save Sona Sitri from the Khaos Brigade! After that, I'm going to help the leaders of the Three Factions. Then – just to finish off – I'm going to beat each and every one of you Khaos Brigade lackeys to the ground!"

At every single declaration Sona witnessed and heard from the boy, she couldn't help but stare in admiration at him. Her jaw was threatening to drop to the ground with the passing seconds she heard him speak about rescuing her, like a prince declaring how he would save a princess.

"Did you forget your position?!" Katerea questioned. "I am a Devil, a descendant of the great Leviathan! You are human! I am a god compared to you!"

"Oh yeah?" Akira asked, a small manic grin growing on his face. "Then tell me who's the coward hiding behind the hostage?!" Turning his head, he looked at the girl his age. "Sona."

Her breath hitched when she heard him say her first name. "Yes Akira?" She asked back.

"Sit tight. I'm coming for you." He assured her.

Sona stared at the boy with admiration… and something more…

If only she were just as powerful. Then she wouldn't be in this mess.

" _ **Allow Me to Assist You with That."**_

A voice that boomed louder than a cannon burst in her head. Sona soon felt as though someone were trying to tear hear heart apart with a rusty knife.

" _ **It's Always Intelligence, Having to Keep up the Image of Elegance."**_

She released a cry of agony as she doubled over and thrashed about, sweat cascading donw her body in buckets. The pain only intensified with time. It wasn't long until it felt like her heart was going to explode from the pressure building within it.

" _ **But Now You Are Broadening Your Horizon Because of a Human."**_

Watching Sona in pain while screaming was a shock to everyone. Katerea was the first to recover. "Hah! I see that you've gone mad with fear." She smirked while merely shaking her head at the strange display. "How pathetic."

" _ **Heh... How Interesting..."**_

The Phantom Thieves however had their jaws dropping at the display. "Incredible…" Yusuke said quietly. "Another Persona awakening… and this is coming from Sitri-san…"

" _ **Let Us Form a Blood Pact."**_

" _ **I Am Thou, Thou Art I...**_

Slamming her hands against the ground, Sona did her best to get back up. It was an incredible struggle with the pain that was residing within her chest. But with what she could do, she somehow managed to get back up to her feet. Panting, her entire body felt as if it were on fire.

" _ **No Matter the How Hard the Wind Blows, Stand Your Ground with All Your Might!"**_

Suddenly, even though it was completely crazy, it was as if she wasn't in the right state of mind. Raising her right hand, the arm trembled like a leaf in a storm. Her eyes looked at the hand as the fingers began to fold over one another.

With one swift moment, her fingers pierced her body and stabbed herself right through the heart.

As the blood sprayed out from the wound, the red drops split apart. The liquid kept on doing this until it was nothing but a misty miasma and began spiraling around Sona in a red tornado. With the tornado came stormy winds with dirt being thrown everywhere.

Katerea, who was giving the tornado and odd expression, was suddenly hit across the stomach by a tail. Knocked back at the sudden force, she managed to regain her footing. Growling, she was about to retaliate against whatever had hit her. But when she saw what did, it made her freeze.

With a deafening roar, the miasma tornado was blasted apart. From that roar was a massive open jaw that belonged to a something that looked like a dragon, but it belonged in the ocean at the same time. The legs were shorter than one would expect and even the tail had a large fin attached to it which helped it look sleeker. The monster's body was shelled in a lustrous black. Certain spikes along its body, head, and tail were vivid blue as mist was seen around it. Its eyes were a striking red and the inside of its mouth was a vivid ice blue. On top of its head and upper neck were a pair of long horns that shared the blue trait.

But right below it was Sona, who had pushed her glasses up on her face and brushed back her new outfit. What she had on was a skin-tight black suit, she also wore a pair of gloves with a dark blue color on the palms with a Renaissance-style flair added on each wrist. The backs on her legs featured a diamond pattern that ran from her upper thighs down to her heels, which exposed her skin from her butt to her lower legs. Her shoes meanwhile featured a design of black and silver linings with silver figurines somewhat resembling a sea-dragon along the back. She also wore a cloak that looked like it was made from multiple strands of long hair that draped over her shoulders and front with points on top of either shoulder.

Attached to the heels of her shoes however were large caliber handguns that were blue with large gems embedded in them. Matching each color was an ornament attached to the handle. One gun had a black diamond-shaped gem while the other had a green rectangle-shaped gem. What occupied her hands however were two more blue guns just like her feet, one having a red teardrop-shaped gem and the other with a grey oval-shaped gem.

Staring in awe, Akira let out a wolf whistle.

"What… what is this?" Sona asked, looking at herself. "This is amazing!" Slowly, realization dawned on her face. "Is… is this what it's like to have a Persona?" Taking one final look at herself slowly, she felt a smile grow on her face. "Now I know why Issei-san acted how he did when getting his own." She mused.

"You got that right." Akira jogged up to her with a smirk. "Well, it doesn't seem like you need any sort of rescuing. So…" He turned his sights over towards Katerea who was staring at the new Persona and looking like she was choking on air. "How about we test your new abilities then?"

"…Maybe." Sona nodded her head, looking at Akira. "Could you… perhaps give me some pointers?"

Blinking, Akira saw that she was staring at him and he stared back. "…How could I refuse." He chuckled.

Behind the two of them was Arsene. With its back facing towards them, it had its right hand holding onto the brim of its hat while the left rested against the hip. Sona's Persona however protectively surrounded Arsene but not touching it, the long body twisted around counter clockwise. Both Persona meanwhile stared at Katerea viciously.

Akira suddenly turned his back to her. Sona easily did the same thing in return tohim. As their backsides and butts pressed against each other, Akira extended his right hand forward and had the palm facing down. With his left hand, he covered his face but kept his eyes visible. Sona meanwhile brought her left hand out and under Akira's right hand and had her palm face up. The right hand meanwhile she rested against her heart.

"Ravage them, Arsene!"

"Lend me your strength, Leviathan!"

 **Yeah, I went there! Do you all have any idea how long I've been wanting to reveal that?! Now if you excuse me, VACATION! JAPAN, HERE I COME!**

 **No flames please.**


End file.
